Posted on 07/07/2007 10:45:47 PM PDT by Salvation
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Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Reading 1
Is 66:10-14c
Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,
all you who love her;
exult, exult with her,
all you who were mourning over her!
Oh, that you may suck fully
of the milk of her comfort,
that you may nurse with delight
at her abundant breasts!
For thus says the LORD:
Lo, I will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent.
As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,
and fondled in her lap;
as a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you;
in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.
When you see this, your heart shall rejoice
and your bodies flourish like the grass;
the LORD’s power shall be known to his servants.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20
R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!”
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
“Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!”
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Reading II
Gal 6:14-18
Brothers and sisters:
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me,
and I to the world.
For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision,
but only a new creation.
Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule
and to the Israel of God.
From now on, let no one make troubles for me;
for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,
brothers and sisters. Amen.
Gospel
Lk 10:1-12, 17-20 or 10:1-9
At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
‘Peace to this household.’
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say,
‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.’
Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.”
The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,
“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”
Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
Behold, I have given you the power to ‘tread upon serpents’ and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
or
At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
‘Peace to this household.’
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’”
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Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. Like the Sacred Wounds of Jesus, His Precious Blood deserves special honor because of its close relation to the Sacred Passion. That honor was given to it from the beginning by the Apostles who praised its redeeming power. (Rom. 5:9 "we are justified by His blood"; Heb. 13:12 "and so Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people by His blood, suffered outside the gate"; 1 John 1:7 "and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.")
In recent times the devotion has been encouraged by Blessed Gaspar Buffalo, founder of the Congregation of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. When Pope Pius IX was in exile from Rome in 1849, he had as his companion Don Giovanni Merlini, the third general of that Congregation. This saintly priest suggested to the pope that he make a vow to give the feast of the Precious Blood to the entire church, if he should regain the papal territory. Without binding himself by the vow, the pope immediately extended the feast to the whole Church. On the old calendar it was celebrated on July 1, but Catholics may still continue this tradition by increasing their devotion to the most precious Blood throughout the entire month of July.
See this article from the Catholic Culture library, Apostle of Devotion to His Most Precious Blood: St. Gaspar del Bufalo.
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
| Listen to the Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus in RealAudio |
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| Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Jesus, hear us. God, the Father of Heaven, God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, God, the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, One God, Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the Eternal Father, Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world. Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, You have redeemed us, O Lord, in your Blood. |
Lord, have mercy Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy Jesus, graciously hear us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Spare us, O Lord Graciously hear us, O Lord. have mercy on us. And made us, for our God, a kingdom. |
| Let us pray, --- Almighty and eternal God, you have appointed your only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world, and willed to be appeased by his Blood. Grant we beg of you, that we may worthily adore this price of our salvation, and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life, so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. |
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The Traditional Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Catholic Caucus)
Devotion to the Precious Blood
DOCTRINE OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,And More on the Precious Blood
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
NOTHING IS MORE POTENT AGAINST EVIL THAN PLEADING THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
St.Gaspar:Founder of the Society of the Precious Blood[AKA The Hammer of Freemasons]
| First reading | Isaiah 66:10 - 14 © |
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| Rejoice, Jerusalem, be glad for her, all you who love her! Rejoice, rejoice for her, all you who mourned her! That you may be suckled, filled, from her consoling breast, that you may savour with delight her glorious breasts. For thus says the Lord: Now towards her I send flowing peace, like a river, and like a stream in spate the glory of the nations. At her breast will her nurslings be carried and fondled in her lap. Like a son comforted by his mother will I comfort you. And by Jerusalem you will be comforted. At the sight your heart will rejoice, and your bones flourish like the grass. To his servants the Lord will reveal his hand. |
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| Psalm or canticle: Psalm 65 |
| Second reading | Galatians 6:14 - 18 © |
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| As for me, the only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. It does not matter if a person is circumcised or not; what matters is for him to become an altogether new creature. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, who form the Israel of God. I want no more trouble from anybody after this; the marks on my body are those of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, my brothers. Amen. |
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| Gospel | Luke 10:1 - 20 © |
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| The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself was to visit. He said to them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start off now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road. Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house. Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you”. But whenever you enter a town and they do not make you welcome, go out into its streets and say, “We wipe off the very dust of your town that clings to our feet, and leave it with you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God is very near.” I tell you, on that day it will not go as hard with Sodom as with that town. The seventy-two came back rejoicing. ‘Lord,’ they said ‘even the devils submit to us when we use your name.’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.’ |
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| Sunday, July 8, 2007 Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time |
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| Other Articles by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D. Printer Friendly Version |
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| The Sign of the Cross | ||
To some, being Italian-American means overindulging in pasta and joking about tough guys. But being Italian means being heir to a rich tradition stretching back before the Caesars. Included are philosophers like Seneca, poets like Dante, artists such as Michelangelo, and saints like Francis of Assisi.
To some, being Catholic means giving up chocolate for Lent. But those who explore their Catholic heritage discover thousands of years of meaning, insight, and life-giving resources: inspiring stories about people from Abraham to Mother Teresa, practical instruction by some of the most brilliant thinkers of all time, tried and true spiritual practices that make people grow in character and happiness.
In John 10:10, Jesus said "I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly." That recalls Isaiah who, speaking of God's people, says: "Lo, I will spread prosperity over her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent." (Is 66:10-14, this Sunday's first reading). The Catholic Church is all about preserving and enjoying the WHOLE, rich heritage of Christ. In fact, the word "Catholic" comes from the Greek word for "whole." The problem is that some preserve outward practices of this heritage, like giving up something for Lent, but have lost the connection with the meaning and power of the practice.
Take for example the sign of the cross. For some it is just a mechanical part of "logging on" and "logging off" of our time "connected" to God via prayer. For others, it seems no more than a good-luck charm to make superstitiously before stepping up to bat.
To see what it really means, we need to look where it comes from. In baptism, a cross is traced on the forehead of the baptized. The same happens in confirmation, where it is done with sacred oil called "chrism." As the cross is traced, the name of the triune God is pronounced, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
How far back in time does this practice go? Paul says "I bear the brand marks of Jesus in my body." (Gal 6:14-18, Sunday's second reading). Notice that in the book of Revelation, those doomed to death have the mark of the beast on their foreheads while the 144,000 in white robes have been sealed with the name of God and the Lamb (Rev 7:3-4, Rev 11:1). Sounds a lot like the sign of the cross, doesn't it?
In the early Church, the sign of the cross was seen as the brand mark on the body of a Christian that indicated that he or she was now the property of a new master and under the protection of that master. The blood of the lamb on the doorposts of the Israelites protected them from the Angel of Death who "passed over" their homes. The sign of the cross on the Christian says "hands off!" to the power of Darkness. Note that Jesus says to his disciples "I have given you power to tread on snakes and scorpions and all the forces of the enemy, and nothing shall ever injure you" (Lk 10:19). The sign of the cross is the sign of this power.
But this sign means even more than belonging to the triune God. It indicates how and why we've come to belong to God and to be entitled to his protection. It means that, for my standing with God, I do not trust in the good deeds that I've done or the "good person" that I am. Rather, I stake my claim to heaven on what Jesus did for me on Calvary. It means that I am saved by a pure gift of His love, by grace. "May I never boast of anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ!" (Gal 6:14).
Each time I make this sign, it is a renewal of my "decision for Christ," my intimate relationship of love with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit which comes as a pure gift of God's grace through faith, baptism and confirmation. In this simple little sign is contained the very essence of the Gospel.
The good news is that everything in the Catholic heritage is like this — full of rich meaning that we've forgotten. But we can recover the meaning and reactivate the power. Let's get busy exploring and unpacking the amazing Catholic tradition!
Year C- Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
No man putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God Luke 9:51-6251 And it came to pass that when the days were approaching for him to be taken up to heaven, he steadfastly took the road for Jerusalem. |
Great is the power of God and greatly blessed are those who have received it. Moses commanded the sea to open and it obeyed, the prophet Elijah commanded the heavens to pour down rain and they obeyed. Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary
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 103 (104) |
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| Hymn to God the Creator |
| Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord, my God, how great you are! You are robed in majesty and splendour; you are wrapped in light as in a cloak. You stretch out the sky like an awning, you build your palace upon the waters. You make the clouds your chariot, you walk upon the wings of the wind. You make the breezes your messengers, you make burning fire your minister. You set the earth upon its foundation: from age to age it will stand firm. Deep oceans covered it like a garment, and the waters stood high above the mountains; but you rebuked them and they fled; at the sound of your thunder they fled in terror. They rise to the mountains or sink to the valleys, to the places you have decreed for them. You have given them a boundary they must not cross; they will never come back to cover the earth. You make springs arise to feed the streams, that flow in the midst of the mountains. All the beasts of the field will drink from them and the wild asses will quench their thirst. Above them will nest the birds of the sky, from among the branches their voices will sound. 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 103 (104) |
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| From your palace you water the mountains, and thus you give plenty to the earth. You bring forth grass for the cattle, and plants for the service of man. You bring forth bread from the land, and wine to make man’s heart rejoice. Oil, to make the face shine; and bread to make man’s heart strong. The trees of the Lord have all that they need, and the cedars of Lebanon, that he planted. Small birds will nest there, and storks at the tops of the trees. For wild goats there are the high mountains; the crags are a refuge for the coneys. He made the moon so that time could be measured; the sun knows the hour of its setting. You send shadows, and night falls: then all the beasts of the woods come out, lion cubs roaring for their prey, asking God for their food. When the sun rises they come back together to lie in their lairs; man goes out to his labour, and works until evening. 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 103 (104) |
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| How many are your works, O Lord! You have made all things in your wisdom, and the earth is full of your creatures. The sea is broad and immense: sea-creatures swim there, both small and large, too many to count. Ships sail across it; Leviathan lives there, the monster; you made him to play with. All of them look to you to give them their food when they need it. You give it to them, and they gather; you open your hand, they are filled with good things. But turn away, and they are dismayed; take away their breath, and they die, once more they will turn into dust. You will send forth your breath, they will come to life; you will renew the face of the earth. Glory be to the Lord, for ever; let the Lord rejoice in his works. He turns his gaze to the earth, and it trembles; he touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord all my life; as long as I exist, I will sing songs to God. May my praises be pleasing to him; truly I will delight in the Lord. Let sinners perish from the earth, let the wicked vanish from existence. Bless the Lord, my soul! 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 | 2 Samuel 12:1 - 25 © |
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| The Lord sent Nathan the prophet to David. He came to him and said: ‘In the same town were two men, one rich, the other poor. The rich man had flocks and herds in great abundance; the poor man had nothing but a ewe lamb, one only, a small one he had bought. This he fed, and it grew up with him and his children, eating his bread, drinking from his cup, sleeping on his breast; it was like a daughter to him. When there came a traveller to stay, the rich man refused to take one of his own flock or herd to provide for the wayfarer who had come to him. Instead he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.’ David’s anger flared up against the man. ‘As the Lord lives,’ he said to Nathan ‘the man who did this deserves to die! He must make fourfold restitution for the lamb, for doing such a thing and showing no compassion.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man. The Lord the God of Israel says this, “I anointed you king over Israel; I delivered you from the hands of Saul; I gave your master’s house to you, his wives into your arms; I gave you the House of Israel and of Judah; and if this were not enough, I would add as much again for you. Why have you shown contempt for the Lord, doing what displeases him? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, taken his wife for your own, and killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. So now the sword will never be far from your House, since you have shown contempt for me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.” ‘Thus the Lord speaks, “I will stir up evil for you out of your own House. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to your neighbour, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. You worked in secret, I will work this in the face of all Israel and in the face of the sun.”’ David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord’. Then Nathan said to David, ‘the Lord, for his part, forgives your sin; you are not to die. Yet because you have outraged the Lord by doing this, the child that is born to you is to die.’ Then Nathan went home. The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David and it fell gravely ill. David pleaded with the Lord for the child; he kept a strict fast and went home and spent the night on the bare ground, covered with sacking. The officials of his household came and stood round him to get him to rise from the ground, but he refused, nor would he take food with them. On the seventh day the child died. David’s officers were afraid to tell him the child was dead. ‘Even when the child was alive’ they thought ‘we reasoned with him and he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He will do something desperate.’ David, however, noticed that his officers were whispering among themselves, and realised that the child was dead. ‘Is the child dead?’ he asked the officers. They answered, ‘He is dead’. David got up from the ground, bathed and anointed himself and put on fresh clothes. Then he went into the sanctuary of the Lord and prostrated himself. On returning to his house he asked for food to be set before him, and ate. His officers said, ‘Why are you acting like this? When the child was alive you fasted and wept; now the child is dead you get up and take food.’ ‘When the child was alive’ he answered ‘I fasted and wept because I kept thinking, “Who knows? Perhaps the Lord will take pity on me and the child will live.” But now he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him but he cannot come back to me.’ David consoled his wife Bathsheba. He went to her and slept with her. She conceived and gave birth to a son whom she named Solomon. The Lord loved him and made this known through the prophet Nathan who named him Jedidiah in accordance with the word of the Lord. |
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| Reading | From a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop |
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| A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit | |
| I acknowledge my transgression, says David. If I admit my fault, then you will pardon it. Let us never assume that if we live good lives we will be without sin; our lives should be praised only when we continue to beg for pardon. But men are hopeless creatures, and the less they concentrate on their own sins, the more interested they become in the sins of others. They seek to criticise, not to correct. Unable to excuse themselves, they are ready to accuse others. This was not the way that David showed us how to pray and make amends to God, when he said: I acknowledge my transgression, and my sin is ever before me. He did not concentrate on others’ sins; he turned his thoughts on himself. He did not merely stroke the surface, but he plunged inside and went deep down within himself. He did not spare himself, and therefore was not impudent in asking to be spared. Do you want God to be appeased? Learn what you are to do that God may be pleased with you. Consider the psalm again: If you wanted sacrifice, I would indeed have given it; in burnt offerings you will take no delight. Are you then to be without sacrifice? Are you to offer nothing? Will you please God without an offering? Consider what you read in the same psalm: If you wanted sacrifice, I would indeed have given it; in burnt offerings you will take no delight. But continue to listen, and say with David: A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; God does not despise a contrite and humble heart. Cast aside your former offerings, for now you have found out what you are to offer. In the days of your fathers you would have made offerings of cattle – these were the sacrifices. If you wanted sacrifice, I would indeed have given it. These then, Lord, you do not want, and yet you do want sacrifice. You will take no delight in burnt offerings, David says. If you will not take delight in burnt offerings, will you remain without sacrifice? Not at all. A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; God does not despise a contrite and humble heart. You now have the offering you are to make. No need to examine the herd, no need to outfit ships and travel to the most remote provinces in search of incense. Search within your heart for what is pleasing to God. Your heart must be crushed. Are you afraid that it might perish so? You have the reply: Create a clean heart in me, O God. For a clean heart to be created, the unclean one must be crushed. We should be displeased with ourselves when we commit sin, for sin is displeasing to God. Sinful though we are, let us at least be like God in this, that we are displeased at what displeases him. In some measure then you will be in harmony with God’s will, because you find displeasing in yourself what is abhorrent to your Creator. |
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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, the world had fallen flat in the dust but your Son’s humility stood it upright once more. Fill your faithful people with a holy joy: take those whom you have torn away from slavery to sin and make them rejoice eternally. 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. |
Collect: Father, through the obedience of Jesus, your servant and your Son, you raised a fallen world. Free us from sin and bring us the joy that lasts for ever. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household'" (Luke 10:2-5).
The second reading is from the letter of Paul to the Galatians, 6:14-18 is the conclusion of his writing to respond to those who insisted that Christians must follow the Mosaic Law. He addresses the subject of circumcision which many Galatian Christians were submitting to and telling them that the Christian people of God are the new "offspring of Abraham."
The Gospel is from St. Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 and is about Christ conferring His mission on the seventy-two disciples. Christ wants to instill apostolic daring into his disciples; this is why he says, "I send you out", which leads St John Chrysostom to comment: "This suffices to give us encouragement, to give us confidence and to ensure that we are not afraid of our assailants" (Hom. on St Matthew, 33). The Apostles' and disciples' boldness stemmed from their firm conviction that they were on a God-given mission: they acted, as Peter the Apostle confidently explained to the Sanhedrin, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, "for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
"And the Lord goes on", St Gregory the Great adds, "'Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road.' Such should be the confidence the preacher places in God that even if he is not provided with the necessities of life, he is convinced that they will come his way, to ensure that worry about providing temporal things for himself does not distract him from providing others with eternal things" (In Evangelia homiliae, 17). Apostolate calls for generous self-surrender which leads to detachment: therefore, Peter, following our Lord's commandment, when the beggar at the Beautiful Gate asked him for alms (Acts 3:2-3), said, "I have no silver or gold" (ibid. 3:6), "not so as to glory in his poverty", St Ambrose points out, "but to obey the Lord's command: it is as if he were saying, 'You see in me a disciple of Christ, and you ask me for gold? He gave us something much more valuable than gold, the power to act in his name. I do not have what Christ did not give me, but I do have what he did give me: In the name of Jesus Christ, arise and walk' (cf. Acts 3:6)." (Expositio Evangelii sec. Lucam, in loc.). Apostolate, therefore, demands detachment from material things and it also requires us to be always available, for there is an urgency about apostolic work.
"And salute no one on the road": "How can it be", St Ambrose asks himself, "that the Lord wishes to get rid of a custom so full of kindness? Notice, however, that he does not just say, 'Do not salute anyone', but adds, 'on the road.' And there is a reason for this.
"He also commanded Elisha not to salute anyone he met, when he sent him to lay his staff on the body of the dead child (2 Kings 4:29): he gave him this order in order to get him to do this task without delay and effect the raising of the child, and not waste time by stopping to talk to any passer-by he met. Therefore, there is no question of omitting to have the good manners to greet others; it is a matter of removing a possible obstacle in the way of service; when God commands, human considerations should be set aside, at least for the time being. To greet a person is a good thing, but it is better to carry out a divine instruction which could easily be frustrated by a delay" (ibid).
— The Navarre Bible - St. Luke
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Like Lambs Among Wolves Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 10: 1-12, 17-20 Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I place myself in your presence. I have set aside this moment for you so that you can speak to me and I can listen to your words. Speak to my heart! I believe that you are present, with all the graces I need right now, in the current circumstances of my life. I hope in you Lord, because I know I cannot place my hope in the things of the world. May this meditation bring me closer to you. I love you Lord and I know how much you love me. When I look at the crucifix I am reminded of how great your love is. My love still isn’t as sacrificial as it should be. I am so easily distracted. I offer you this meditation, Lord, so that you can purify me and make my love more perfect, more like yours. I place all I do in Mary’s hands. I ask her to teach me how to pray and especially how to listen to your words, contemplating them in my heart. Petition: Lord, show me your love so that I can be a witness of your love to others. 1. Like Lambs Among Wolves Being called “lambs” surely surprised the disciples. These weak and fuzzy animals are hardly creatures with which mature men or women might easily identify themselves. Yet Christ makes an important point. Before the aggressive nature of evil we can feel as powerless as little lambs. The Second Vatican Council states, “The whole of man’s history has been the story of dour combat with the powers of evil, stretching, so our Lord tells us, from the dawn of history until the last day. Finding himself in the midst of this battlefield man has to struggle to do what is right, and it is at great cost to himself, and aided by God’s grace, that he succeeds in achieving his own inner integrity” (Gaudium et Spes, 37). 2. Lambs Taking on Demons The disciples were given the power to expel demons and tread upon serpents. In other words, the forces of evil are no match for an apostle of Christ. But how can this be, since evil is so powerful and overwhelming? A Christian “treads upon serpents” and “expels demons” by living the virtues of kindness and charity. The best response—indeed the only worthy response—to the evil of sin, is charity. A lamb’s goodness is more attractive and wins more hearts than a wolf’s malice. Goodness wins souls for Christ’s Kingdom.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, once again I renew my faith in your presence. I believe you want to speak to me through the words of your Scripture, and this is why I have come here seeking light. I believe you speak to me in the depths of my heart through the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. What confidence and trust this gives me! I know the fruit of this meditation does not depend on how holy or perfect I am, but on your grace and my effort to correspond to it. Resolution: For the glory of God and the good of others, I will make an act of kindness today. |
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 117 (118) |
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| A cry of rejoicing and triumph |
| Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, and his kindness is for ever. Now let Israel say, he is good and his kindness is for ever. Now let the house of Aaron say it too: that his kindness is for ever. Now let all who fear the Lord say it too: that his kindness is for ever. In my time of trial I called out to the Lord: he listened, and led me to freedom. The Lord is with me, I will fear nothing that man can do. The Lord, my help, is with me, and I shall look down upon my enemies. It is good to seek shelter in the Lord, better than to trust in men. It is good to seek shelter in the Lord, better than to trust in the leaders of men. All the nations surrounded me, and in the Lord’s name I slew them. They crowded in and besieged me, and in the Lord’s name I slew them. They surrounded me like swarms of bees, they burned like a fire of dry thorns, and in the Lord’s name I slew them. They chased and pursued me, to make me fall, and the Lord came to my help. The Lord is my strength and my rejoicing: he has become my saviour. A cry of joy and salvation in the dwellings of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has triumphed! The Lord’s right hand has raised me up; the Lord’s right hand has triumphed”. I shall not die, but live, and tell of the works of the Lord. The Lord chastised me severely but did not let me die. Open the gates of righteousness: I will go in, and thank the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; it is the upright who enter here. I will thank you, for you listened to me, and became my saviour. The stone that the builders rejected has become the corner-stone. It was the Lord who did this – it is marvellous to behold. This is the day that was made by the Lord: let us rejoice today, and be glad. Lord, keep me safe; O Lord, let me prosper! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God, he shines upon us! Arrange the procession, with close-packed branches, up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, I will give thanks to you; my God, I will give you praise. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, and his kindness is for ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Canticle | Daniel 3 |
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| Let every creature praise the Lord | |
| Blessed are you, Lord God of our fathers, praised and exalted for ever. Blessed is the holy name of your glory praised above all things and exalted for ever. Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory praised and glorious above all things for ever. Blessed are you who gaze on the depths, seated on the cherubim, praised and exalted for ever. Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven praised and glorious for ever. Bless the Lord, all his works, praise and exalt him for ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| Psalm 150 |
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| Praise the Lord |
| Praise the Lord in his sanctuary, praise him in his mighty firmament. Praise him for his mighty deeds, praise him for all his greatness. Praise him with trumpet-blasts, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dance, praise him with strings and pipes, praise him with cymbals resounding, praise him with cymbals of jubilation. All that breathes, praise 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. |
| Short reading | Ezekiel 36:25 - 27 © |
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| I shall pour clean water over you and you will be cleansed; I shall cleanse you of all your defilement and all your idols. I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead. I shall put my spirit in you, and make you keep my laws and sincerely respect my observances. | |
| Canticle | Benedictus |
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| The Messiah and his forerunner | |
| Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| 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, the world had fallen flat in the dust but your Son’s humility stood it upright once more. Fill your faithful people with a holy joy: take those whom you have torn away from slavery to sin and make them rejoice eternally. 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 |
| Lk 10:1-20 | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | Douay-Rheims | Vulgate |
| 1 | And after these things, the Lord appointed also other seventy-two. And he sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself was to come. | post haec autem designavit Dominus et alios septuaginta duos et misit illos binos ante faciem suam in omnem civitatem et locum quo erat ipse venturus |
| 2 | And he said to them: The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he send labourers into his harvest. | et dicebat illis messis quidem multa operarii autem pauci rogate ergo Dominum messis ut mittat operarios in messem |
| 3 | Go: Behold I send you as lambs among wolves. | ite ecce ego mitto vos sicut agnos inter lupos |
| 4 | Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. | nolite portare sacculum neque peram neque calciamenta et neminem per viam salutaveritis |
| 5 | Into whatever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house. | in quamcumque domum intraveritis primum dicite pax huic domui |
| 6 | And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him: but if not, it shall return to you. | et si ibi fuerit filius pacis requiescet super illam pax vestra sin autem ad vos revertetur |
| 7 | And in the same house, remain, eating and drinking such things as they have: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house. | in eadem autem domo manete edentes et bibentes quae apud illos sunt dignus enim est operarius mercede sua nolite transire de domo in domum |
| 8 | And into what city soever you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. | et in quamcumque civitatem intraveritis et susceperint vos manducate quae adponuntur vobis |
| 9 | And heal the sick that are therein and say to them: The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. | et curate infirmos qui in illa sunt et dicite illis adpropinquavit in vos regnum Dei |
| 10 | But into whatsoever city you enter, and they receive you not, going forth into the streets thereof, say: | in quamcumque civitatem intraveritis et non receperint vos exeuntes in plateas eius dicite |
| 11 | Even the very dust of your city that cleaveth to us, we wipe off against you. Yet know this, that the kingdom of God is at hand. | etiam pulverem qui adhesit nobis de civitate vestra extergimus in vos tamen hoc scitote quia adpropinquavit regnum Dei |
| 12 | I say to you, it shall be more tolerable at that day for Sodom, than for that city. | dico vobis quia Sodomis in die illa remissius erit quam illi civitati |
| 13 | Woe to thee, Corozain! Woe to thee, Bethsaida! For if in Tyre and Sidon had been wrought the mighty works that have been wrought in you, they would have done penance long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. | vae tibi Corazain vae tibi Bethsaida quia si in Tyro et Sidone factae fuissent virtutes quae in vobis factae sunt olim in cilicio et cinere sedentes paeniterent |
| 14 | But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. | verumtamen Tyro et Sidoni remissius erit in iudicio quam vobis |
| 15 | And thou, Capharnaum, which art exalted unto heaven, thou shalt be thrust down to hell. | et tu Capharnaum usque in caelum exaltata usque ad infernum demergeris |
| 16 | He that heareth you heareth me: and he that despiseth you despiseth me: and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. | qui vos audit me audit et qui vos spernit me spernit qui autem me spernit spernit eum qui me misit |
| 17 | And the seventy-two returned with joy, saying: Lord, the devils also are subject to us in thy name. | reversi sunt autem septuaginta duo cum gaudio dicentes Domine etiam daemonia subiciuntur nobis in nomine tuo |
| 18 | And he said to them: I saw Satan like lightning falling from heaven. | et ait illis videbam Satanan sicut fulgur de caelo cadentem |
| 19 | Behold, I have given you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and upon all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall hurt you. | ecce dedi vobis potestatem calcandi supra serpentes et scorpiones et supra omnem virtutem inimici et nihil vobis nocebit |
| 20 | But yet rejoice not in this, that spirits are subject unto you: but rejoice in this, that your names are written in heaven. | verumtamen in hoc nolite gaudere quia spiritus vobis subiciuntur gaudete autem quod nomina vestra scripta sunt in caelis |
O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 109 (110) |
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| The Messiah, king and priest |
| The Lord has said to my lord: “Sit at my right hand while I make your enemies into your footstool”. From Sion the Lord will give you a sceptre, and you will rule in the midst of your foes. Royal power is yours in the day of your strength, glorious and holy; from the time of your birth, before the dawn. The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: “You are a priest for ever, a priest of the priesthood of Melchisedech”. The Lord is at your right hand, and on the day of his anger he will shatter kings. He will judge the nations, he will pile high their skulls; he will drink from the stream as he goes – he will hold his head high. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Psalm 113B (115) |
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| Praise of the true God |
| Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your own name give the glory, because of your kindness and faithfulness. Why should the nations say: “Where is their God?” Our God is in the heavens, and what he wills, he does. The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths but do not speak, they have eyes but do not see. They have ears but do not hear, they have nostrils but do not smell. They have hands but they do not feel, they have feet but they do not walk; no voice comes from their throats. Their makers will be like them, and all who put their trust in them. The house of Israel trusts in the Lord; he is their help and their shield. The house of Aaron trusts in the Lord; he is their help and their shield. All who fear the Lord trust in the Lord; he is their help and their shield. The Lord has remembered us and he will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron – he will bless all who fear the Lord. May the Lord add to your numbers and to those of your children. May the Lord bless you, the Lord who made heaven and earth. The heavens are the Lord’s, but the earth he has given to men. It is not the dead who will praise you, O Lord, nor those who go down into the silence; but we, who live, will bless the Lord, now and for ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Canticle | (Apocalypse 19) |
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| The wedding of the Lamb | |
| Alleluia. Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, because his judgements are true and just. Alleluia. Alleluia. Praise our God, all his servants, and you who fear him, small and great. Alleluia. Alleluia. For the Lord reigns, our God, the Almighty: let us rejoice and exult and give him glory. Alleluia. Alleluia. The marriage of the Lamb has come, and his spouse has made herself ready. Alleluia. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| Short reading | 2 Thessalonians 2:13 - 14 © |
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| We feel that we must be continually thanking God for you, brothers whom the Lord loves, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctifying Spirit and by faith in the truth. Through the Good News that we brought he called you to this so that you should share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. | |
| Canticle | Magnificat |
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| My soul rejoices in the Lord | |
| My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation. For he has shown me such favour – me, his lowly handmaiden. Now all generations will call me blessed, because the mighty one has done great things for me. His name is holy, his mercy lasts for generation after generation for those who revere him. He has put forth his strength: he has scattered the proud and conceited, torn princes from their thrones; but lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| 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, the world had fallen flat in the dust but your Son’s humility stood it upright once more. Fill your faithful people with a holy joy: take those whom you have torn away from slavery to sin and make them rejoice eternally. 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 |
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Sunday, July 08, 2007 Meditation Luke 10:1-12,17-20 Halfway into his public ministry, with thousands of people following him, Jesus took seventy disciples aside and gave them an assignment: “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way.” (Luke 10:2-3) This appeal was not just one task among many. Drawing his closest friends near to him, Jesus revealed to them the heart of his mission: reconciliation with the Father. In order to catch the full meaning of these words and respond to them with the generosity and conviction they deserve, the disciples needed not only to hear what Jesus was saying, they needed to feel it. Can you sense the urgency in his voice? Can you see the love in his eyes as he gazes upon the crowds following him? Do you feel his heart pounding with love and his voice breaking with compassion? In his 1990 encyclical, Mission of Christ the Redeemer, Pope John Paul II exhorted us with words very similar to Jesus’ in both tone and scope: “Today, as never before, the Church has the opportunity of bringing the gospel, by witness and word, to all people and nations” (Redemptoris Missio, 92). And in making this appeal, the pope spoke not just to priests and religious: “No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples” (3). The seventy returned from their missionary trip overjoyed at how powerfully God worked through them. We may not think God can do that through us. We may consider ourselves unable to evangelize and witness to Christ. But we should remember that Jesus doesn’t call the qualified; he qualifies the called! It was his “appointment” of the seventy (Luke 10:1) that enabled them to bear fruit. By virtue of your baptism and by the power of the Holy Spirit within you, God can do and will do amazing things. “Lord Jesus, I hear you calling me to proclaim you to others. Holy Spirit, please give me the courage and conviction I need to witness to the gospel. Jesus, I trust in you.” Isaiah 66:10-14; Psalm 66:1-7,16,20; Galatians 6:14-18 |
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Livestock are branded so that others can tell who owns them. Paul bore the brand marks of Jesus on his body, so all could determine that Jesus owned him. Paul's brand marks were scars and bruises from the beatings, stonings, and other sufferings he endured for Jesus (see Acts 14:19; 16:22ff; 2 Cor 11:23ff). Other saints have born the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, in their hands and feet. Could someone tell by looking at your body that you belong to Christ? Here are the brand marks of some Christians I know:
Be crucified to the world (Gal 6:14). Be branded for Jesus, and "glorify God in your body" (1 Cor 6:20).One Bread, One Body
<< Sunday, July 8, 2007 >>
14th Sunday Ordinary Time
Isaiah 66:10-14
Galatians 6:14-18Psalm 66
Luke 10:1-12, 17-20
View Readings
BRAND LOYALTY
"I bear the brand marks of Jesus in my body." —Galatians 6:17
circles under the eyes denoting lack of sleep in parents who had more children in loving obedience to the Lord,
extra pounds on a parent who, in selflessly caring for children, couldn't find time to work out,
marked loss of weight during Lent from devoted fasting,
radiant smiles and glowing faces stemming from overflowing joy in being owned by Jesus (cf Ex 34:30),
eyes which reflect a peace that passes all understanding (Phil 4:7) in the midst of incredible personal suffering,
shaved hair on the heads of males in two families as a sign of empathy to a loved one suffering from cancer, and
a permanent, skin-white colored "band" on the wrist of a priest who vowed to wear a thick pro-life bracelet until legalized abortion is overturned in the USA.
Prayer: Jesus, receive my body as a living sacrifice (Rm 12:1).
Promise: "As a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you." —Is 66:13
Praise: Praise the risen Jesus, Who bears the marks of His death as a sign of His great love for us.
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.
| This is an excellent moment for an examination of conscience. In a communal celebration of Compline, one of the penitential acts given in the Missal may be recited. |
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 90 (91) |
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| The protection of the Most High |
| He will shade you with his wings; you will not fear the terror of the night. |
| He who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells under the shade of the Almighty. He will say to the Lord: “You are my shelter and my strength, my God, in whom I trust”. For he will free you from the hunter’s snare, from the voice of the slanderer. He will shade you with his wings, you will hide underneath his wings. His faithfulness will be your armour and your shield. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day; nor the plague that walks in the shadows, nor the death that lays waste at noon. A thousand will fall at your side, at your right hand ten thousand will fall, but you it will never come near. You will look with your eyes and see the reward of sinners. For the Lord is your shelter and refuge; you have made the Most High your dwelling-place. Evil will not reach you, harm cannot approach your tent; for he has set his angels to guard you and keep you safe in all your ways. They will carry you in their arms in case you hurt your foot on a stone. You walk on the viper and cobra, you will tread on the lion and the serpent. Because he clung to me, I shall free him: I shall lift him up because he knows my name. He will call upon me and for my part, I will hear him: I am with him in his time of trouble. I shall rescue him and lead him to glory. I shall fill him with length of days and show him my salvation. 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. |
| He will shade you with his wings; you will not fear the terror of the night. |
| Reading | Apocalypse 22:4-5 |
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| They will see the face of the Lord, and his name will be marked on their foreheads. There will be no more night: they will not need sunlight or lamp-light, because the Lord God himself will shine upon them. And they will reign for ever and ever. | |
| Short Responsory | ? |
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| Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. |
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| Canticle | Nunc Dimittis |
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| Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace. | |
| Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace. You have fulfilled your promise. My own eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples. A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness; the glory of your people Israel. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace. | |
| Prayer | |
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| Let us pray. Today we have celebrated the mystery of the Christ’s resurrection, and so now we humbly ask you, Lord, that we may rest in your peace, far from all harm, and rise rejoicing and giving praise to you. Through Christ our Lord, Amen. |
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| May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. |
| A M E N |
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| Other Articles by Fr. Jack Peterson Printer Friendly Version |
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| We Are on a Mission from God | ||
When I was a boy, I remember helping my father transform our basement from a dark, dingy, cinderblock hovel into one of our favorite rooms in the house. My father oversaw a contractor who put two large sliding glass doors into the room bringing in light and offering a panoramic view of our beautiful back yard.
Then, we proceeded to paint the walls with stucco and put up brown, wooden beams to give the room the feel and look of an old English sitting room. In the end, with the additional assistance of my mother, we carpeted the room and decorated it with a variety of English paintings and amenities. I was by my father's side during the whole project. I felt like we were on a mission together to do something wonderful for our family and our house. It was exciting to be a part of that project. Our family used and loved that room for 30 years.
God, our Heavenly Father, has a plan to transform our dark and hurting world into a kingdom of light, love and peace. He has called each one of us by name to participate in this project. Thanks to our baptism, every Christian is incorporated into Christ's body, the Church, and into her mission to be salt of the earth and light of the world. We Christians need to appreciate the honor and privilege given to us and the essential role that each of us plays in the execution of this construction project.
Yesterday's Gospel passage from Luke recounts how Jesus appointed 72 of his disciples and sent them out on a mission to help prepare the way for his visits to various people and towns. "Behold, I am sending you ... " These newly formed Christians were sent by Christ. Do I have a sense that I have been personally called by God and sent into the world? Do I understand the role I have in helping people in my small corner of the world prepare to encounter Christ? Do people encounter Christ when they meet me, work with me and hang out with me?
Jesus prepares His disciples by giving them a sense of what to expect and do while on this mission. "I am sending you like lambs among wolves." He states clearly that this mission is not going to be easy. Some people will attack us; they will not be happy with what we believe and how we live as His disciple. "Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals." Jesus insists on a simple way of life for His disciples. He wants us to avoid getting distracted by unimportant things so that we can focus on truly caring for people and sharing with them the great joy of knowing and loving Jesus Christ. Am I willing to endure persecution for the sake of Christ? Am I too distracted by unimportant things and activities to participate honestly in the mission entrusted to me by Christ?
When Jesus says "cure the sick," He commissions us to bring healing into our broken and hurting world. How can we do that? First, we do so simply by bringing them to Christ, the Divine Physician. He is the true, ultimate source of all healing of mind, body and spirit. To encounter Christ is to be exposed to His healing mercy and love. Second, we simply love them ourselves. Mother Teresa often said that the greatest poverty in the United States is the hunger for love. Our own personal care for people, which is the love of Christ flowing through us, is a healing salve with which God anoints the world. How many people have come to see the face of God and to know healing in body or spirit through the love that Mother Teresa and her sisters have humbly offered to the sick and the dying? How will people come to know God through our presence and service?
Sharing in a great project gives tremendous meaning to life. I will never forget the project that I worked on with my dad as a child. Now, I am aware of a much greater project, sharing in our heavenly Father's plan to redeem, heal and transform the world into a kingdom of light and love. Every Christian is called and sent by Christ to help with this "project." We are on a mission from God.
Isaiah 66:10-14
The new nation
[10] “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy,
all you who mourn over her;
[11] that you may suck and be satisfied
with her consoling breasts;
that you may drink deeply with delight
from the abundance of her glory.”
[12] For thus says the Lord:
“Behold, I will extend prosperity to her like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream;
and you shall suck, you shall be carried upon her hip,
and dandled upon her knees.
[13] As one whom his mother comforts,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
[14] You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
your bones shall flourish like the grass;
and it shall be known that the hand of the Lord is with his
servants,
and his indignation is against his enemies.
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Commentary:
7-14. This last poem about the exaltation of Zion is built around the metaphor of
motherhood. The opening verses (7-9) are a reflection full of rhetorical questions
about the eschatological city that gives birth to an entire people in a spectacular,
miraculous way. She is the new Eve, the mother all the living (cf. Gen 2:23), who
gives birth painlessly. This Zion, a thing of wonder, easy for God to create but im-
possible for men even to conceive, has been interpreted as a symbol of the
Church who bears in her womb and gives birth to the members of the new people
of God – and a symbol, too, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who gave birth, without
the loss of her virginity, to Jesus (cf. Rev 12:5). The end of the poem (vv. 10-14)
also uses the analogy of Zion as a mother, although at one point, very boldly, it
depicts God as comforting his people like a mother giving suck to her children
(v. 11). As we have seen, the second part of Isaiah is where the attributes of a
mother are most often applied to God (cf. 42:14; 45:10; 49:15). “By calling God
‘Father’, the language of faith indicates two main things: that God is the first
origin of everything and transcendent authority; and that he is at the same time
goodness and loving care for all his children. God’s parental tenderness can also
be expressed by the image of motherhood (cf. Is 66:13; Ps 131:2), which empha-
sizes God’s immanence, the intimacy between Creator and creature. The lan-
guage of faith thus draws on the human experience of parents, who are in a way
the first representatives of God for man. But this experience also tells us that
human parents are fallible and can disfigure the face of fatherhood and mother-
hood. We ought therefore to recall that God transcends the human distinction
between the sexes. He is neither man nor woman: he is God. He also trans-
cends human fatherhood and motherhood (cf. Ps 27:10), although he is their
origin and standard (cf. Eph 3:14; Is 49:15)” (Catechism of the Catholic Church,
239).
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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: Galatians 6:14-18
Conclusion
[17] Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear on my body the
marks of Jesus.
[18] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,
brethren. Amen.
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Commentary:
14. Those who had been circumcised—both Gentiles and Jews—used to
boast about bearing on their body the sign of the Old Covenant,
circumcision. St. Paul points out to them that to his mind there is
only one ground for boasting—the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by
which the New Covenant has been sealed and the Redemption brought about
and which therefore has come to be the sign of the Christian. This was
the core of his preaching—the power and the wisdom of God (cf. 1 Cor.
1:23-24). The Apostle’s assertion has been echoed by Christians down
the ages and has inspired pages of singular piety. For example, here
is something from an Easter homily (preacher unknown) of the second
century: “When I am overtaken by fear of God, the Cross is my
protection; when I stumble, it is my help and my support; when I engage
in combat, my prize; when I conquer, my crown. The Cross is for me a
narrow path, a narrow way—Jacob’s ladder, which angels ascend and
descend, at the top of which the Lord is to be found.”
From the Holy Cross our salvation comes, for it was here that Jesus
died for our sins. St. John Chrysostom, therefore, praises it: “The
Cross is the sign of victory displayed to fend off demons, the sword to
use against sin, the sword with which Christ ran the serpent through;
the Cross is the will of the Father, the glory of his Only Son, the joy
of the Holy Spirit, the ornament of the angels, the assurance of the
Church; it is what Paul glories in, it protects the saints and lights
up the whole universe (”De Coemeterio Et De Cruce”, 2).
For his part St. Anselm is so moved that he exclaims: “O Cross, chosen
and designed to do such ineffable good: you are praised and exalted not
so much by the minds and tongues of men, or even angels, as by the
works that been done thanks to you. O Cross, in whom and by whom
salvation and life have come to me, in whom and by whom all good things
come to me: God would not have me glory unless it be in you (cf. Gal.
6:14)” (”Prayers and Meditations”, 4).
In the Cross, therefore, every Christian should be able to find support
and strength for his daily life: “When you see a poor wooden Cross,
alone, uncared for, and of no value...and without its Crucified, don’t
forget that that Cross is your Cross: the Cross of each day, the hidden
Cross, without splendor or consolation..., the Cross which is waiting
the Crucified it lacks: and that Crucified must be you” ([St] J. Escriva,
“The Way”, 178).
15. The expression “new creation” is full of theological content. It
points to the fact that supernatural grace operates at a much higher
level than any mere human action: just as God in creating the world
made everything out of nothing, so too grace is granted without there
being any previous merits. The phrase also indicates that, in regard
to salvation, the only thing which matters as far as God is concerned
is grace: just as things exist because they have been created, so man
exists on the supernatural plane because he has been “created again”.
Finally, “new creation” gives us a glimpse into the mystery of grace:
thus when we were originally created we were given existence, and a
nature, and certain faculties: in a similar way, on being created anew
we are made to share in God’s nature, we are given a new nature
(super-nature) and a whole supernatural biology (the infused virtues
and gifts of the Holy Spirit).
The nature which God gave man through creation was damaged by the sin
of Adam, become thereby an “old creation”, the old man. Our new life
or new creation is in brilliant contrast which the dark background of
sin and death caused by that original fall. “We have been created,”
St. Thomas comments, “and we have received our natural being through
Adam; but that creature grew old, and died, and therefore the Lord, by
constituting us in the state of grace, worked a new creation, ‘that we
should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures’ (Jas. 1:18). And he
adds ‘new’ because we are renewed by him, given a new life; and by the
Holy Spirit also. ‘When thou sendest forth thy Spirit, the are
created, and thou renewest the face of the earth’ (Ps. 104:30); and by
the Cross of Christ [...]. Thus, by means of the new creation, that
is, through faith in Christ and through the love of God, which has been
poured into our hearts, we are renewed and we are united to Christ”
(”Commentary on Gal., ad loc.”).
We find this parallelism between creation and the new creation
(re-creation) in a number of places in the New Testament. The new life
which is attained through union with Christ is called a “new creation”
(cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). This new creation is the new man, who is born not
of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of
God (cf. Jn. 1:12-13), man raised up to the supernatural state of
grace, created in Christ (cf. Eph. 2:10, 15) for a life of
righteousness and holiness (cf. Roman 6:4; Col. 3:9-10), man, God’s
adoptive son and heir (cf. Rom. 8:16), in whom Christ’s own life is
definitively manifested (cf. Gal. 2:20).
17. A reference to the sign or brand put on livestock to show which
herd it belongs to. In ancient times slaves were also branded—to show
which family they belonged to—as were the adherents of some religions.
St. Paul alludes to these customs by declaring that he is
metaphorically a servant of Christ.
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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.
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