Posted on 07/27/2007 7:12:55 AM PDT by Salvation
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Friday of the Sixteenth Week
in Ordinary Time
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Reading 1
Ex 20:1-17
In those days:
God delivered all these commandments:
“I, the LORD, am your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.
You shall not have other gods besides me.
You shall not carve idols for yourselves
in the shape of anything in the sky above
or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth;
you shall not bow down before them or worship them.
For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God,
inflicting punishment for their fathers’ wickedness
on the children of those who hate me,
down to the third and fourth generation;
but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation
on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.
For the LORD will not leave unpunished
him who takes his name in vain.
“Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.
Six days you may labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God.
No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter,
or your male or female slave, or your beast,
or by the alien who lives with you.
In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth,
the sea and all that is in them;
but on the seventh day he rested.
That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother,
that you may have a long life in the land
which the LORD, your God, is giving you.
“You shall not kill.
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,
nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass,
nor anything else that belongs to him.”
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11
R. (John 6:68c) Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
Gospel
Mt 13:18-23
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Hear the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom
without understanding it,
and the Evil One comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
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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]
From: Exodus 20:1-17
The Ten Commandments
[3] “You shall have no other gods before me.
[4] “You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness
of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath,
or that is in the water under the earth; [5] you shall not bow down to
them or serve them; for the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the
fourth generation of those who hate me, [6] but showing steadfast love
to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
[7] “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the
LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
[8] “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. [9] Six days you shall
labor, and do all your work; [10] but the seventh day is a sabbath to
the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son,
or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your
cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; [11] for in six
days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them,
and rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day
and hallowed it.
[12] “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in
the land which the LORD your God gives you.
[13] “You shall not kill.
[14] “You shall not commit adultery.
[15] “You shall not steal.
[16] “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
[17] “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet
your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his
ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
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Commentary:
20:1-21. “Decalogue” comes from the Greek, meaning “ten words” (cf.
the literal sense of Deut 4: l3). It consists of the Ten Commandments
or moral code, recorded here. and in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. The Decalogue
is dealt with in a very special way here: for one thing, it is
embedded in the account of the theophany, slotted in between 19:19 and
20:18; for another, attached to the concise commandments (identical in
Exodus and Deuteronomy) are other more elaborate commandments (giving
reasons and explanations) which differ as between the two versions.
The fact that the Decalogue (and not any other legal code of the
Pentateuch) is repeated practically verbatim in Exodus and Deuteronomy
and has from ancient times been reproduced separately, as the Nash
papyrus (2nd century BC) shows, indicates the importance the Decalogue
always had among the people of Israel as a moral code.
On the supposition that the versions in Exodus and Deuteronomy can be
reduced to a single original text, the variations between them can be
explained in terms of the applications of the commandments to the
circumstances of the period when each version was made; the final
redaction, which we have here, is the one held to be inspired. The
apodictic form (future imperative, second person: “You shall not
kill”) is that proper to biblical commandments and it differs from the
casuistical type of wording that Israel shares with other Semitic
people, as can be seen from the Code of the Covenant (chaps 21-23).
The ten commandments are the core of Old Testament ethics and they
retain their value in the New Testament. Jesus often reminds people
about them (cf Lk 18:20) and he fills them out (cf. Mt 5:17ff). The
Fathers and Doctors of the Church have commented on them at length
because, as St Thomas points out, all the precepts of the natural law
are contained in the Decalogue: the universal precepts, such as “Do
good and avoid evil”, “which are primary and general, are contained
theirin as principles in their proximate conclusions, while
conversely, those which are mediated by the wise are contained in them
as conclusions in their principles” (”Summa Theologiae”, 1-2, 100, 3).
The commandments tend to be divided up in two different ways: thus,
Jews and many Christian confessions divide the first commandment into
two—the precept to adore only one God (vv. 2-3) and that of not
making images (vv. 3-6); whereas Catholics and Lutherans (following St
Augustine) make these commandments one and divide into two the last
commandments (not to covet one’s neighbor’s wife: the ninth; and not
to covet his goods: the tenth).
There is nothing sacrosanct about these divisions (their purpose is
pedagogical); whichever way the commandments are divided, the
Decalogue stands. In our commentary we follow St Augustine’s division
and make reference to the teaching of the Church, because the Ten
Commandments contain the core of Christian morality (cf. the notes on
Deut 5:1-22).
20:2. Hittite peoples (some of whose political and social documents
have survived) used to begin peace treaties with an historical
introduction, that is, by recounting the victory of a king over a
vassal on whom specific obligations were being imposed. In a similar
sort of way, the Decalogue begins by recalling the Exodus. However,
what we have here is something radically different from a Hittite
pact, because the obligation that the commandments imply is not based
on a defeat but on a deliverance. God is offering the commandments to
the people whom he has delivered from bondage, whereas human princes
imposed their codes on peoples whom they had reduced to vassalage. The
commandments are therefore an expression of the Covenant. Acceptance
of them is a sign that man has attained maturity in his freedom. “Man
becomes free when he enters into the Covenant of God? (Aphraates,
“Demonstrationes”, 12). Jesus stressed the same idea: “My yoke is
easy, and my burden is light” (Mt 11:30).
20:3-6 “You shall love God above all things” is the wording of the
first commandment given in most catechisms (cf. “Catechism of the
Catholic Church”, 2083) summarizing the teaching of Jesus (cf. Mk
12:28-31, which quotes the text of Deuteronomy 6:4-5. In the ten
commandments this precept covers two aspects—rnonotheism (v. 3) and
the obligation not to adore idols or images of the Lord (vv. 4-6).
Belief in the existence of only one God is the backbone of the entire
Bible message. The prophets will openly teach monotheism, holding that
God is the sovereign Lord of the universe and of time; but this ban on
other gods itself implies the sure conviction that there is only one
true God. “You shall have no other gods before [or, besides] me”,
implies a belief in one God, that is monotheism.
The ban on images was something that marked Israel as different from
other peoples. The ban not only covered idols or images of other gods,
but also representations of the Lord.
The one true God is spiritual and transcendent: he cannot be
controlled or manipulated (unlike the gods of Israel’s neighbors). On
the basis of the mystery of the incarnate Word Christians began to
depict scenes from the Gospel and in so doing they knew that this was
not at odds with God’s freedom nor did it make for idolatry. The
Church venerates images because they are representations either of
Jesus who, being truly man had a body, or of saints, who as human
beings were portrayable and worthy of veneration. The Second Vatican
Council recommended the veneration of sacred images, while calling for
sobriety and beauty: “The practice of placing sacred images in
churches so that they be venerated by the faithful is to be
maintained. Nevertheless their number should be moderate and their
relative positions should reflect right order. For otherwise the
Christian people may find them incongruous and they may foster
devotion of doubtful orthodoxy” (”Sacrosancturn Concilium”, 125).
20:5-6. “A jealous God”: an anthropomorphism emphasizing the
uniqueness of God. Since he is the only true God, he cannot abide
either the worship of other gods (cf. 34:14) or worship of idols.
Idolatry is the gravest and most condemned sin in the Bible (cf.
“Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 2113). Those in charge of worship
in the temple are described as being “jealous” for the Lord (cf. Num
25:13; 1 Kings 19:10, 14), because they have to watch to ensure that
no deviations occur. When expelling the money-changers from the temple
(Jn 2:17), Jesus refers to this aspect of priests’ responsibility;
“Zeal for thy house has consumed me” (Ps 69:9).
On the Lord’s merciful retribution, cf. the note on Ex 34:6-7.
20:7. Respect for God’s name is respect for God himself. Hence this
prohibition on invoking the name of the Lord to gain credence for
evil, be it at a trial (by committing perjury), or by swearing to do
something evil, or by blasphemy (cf. Sir 23:7-12). In ancient times,
Israel’s neighbors used the names of their gods in magical
conjuration; in such a situation the invoking of the Lord’s name is
idolatrous. In general, this commandment forbids any abuse, any
disrespect, any irreverent use of the name of God. And, to put it
positively, “The second commandment ‘prescribes respect for the Lord’s
name’. Like the first commandment, it belongs to the virtue of
religion and more particularly it governs our use of speech in sacred
matters” (”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 2142).
20:8-11 Israel’s history evidently influenced the formulation of the
sabbath precept, given that the usual apodictic mode is not used and
that the prescriptions concerning this day are very well developed.
The commandment includes three ideas: the sabbath is a holy day,
dedicated to the Lord; work is forbidden on it; one reasons for it is
to imitate God, who rested from creation on the seventh day.
The sabbath is a holy day, that is, different from ordinary days (cf.
Lev 23:3) because it is dedicated to God. No special rites are
prescribed but the word “remember” (different from “observe” in
Deuteronomy 5:10) is a word with cultic associations. Whatever the
etymology or social origin of the sabbath was, in the Bible it is
always something holy (cf. 16:22-30).
Sabbath rest implies that there is an obligation to work on the
previous six days (v. 9). Work is the only justification for rest. The
Hebrew word “sabat” actually means “sabbath” and “rest”. But on this
day rest acquires a cultic value, for no special sacrifices or rites
are prescribed for the sabbath: the whole community, and even animals,
render homage to God by ceasing from their labors.
20:12 The fourth is the first commandment to do with inter-personal
relationships (the subject of the second “table” as ancient Christian
writers used to term these commandments: cf. “Catechism of the
Catholic Church”, 2197). Like the sabbath precept, it is couched in a
positive way, its direct reference is to family members. The fact that
it comes immediately after the precepts that refer to God shows its
importance. Parents, in effect, represent God within the family circle.
The commandment has to do not only with young children (cf. Prov
19:26; 20:20; 23:22;; 30:17), who have a duty to remain subject to
their parents (Deut 21:18-21), but to all children whatever their age,
because it is offenses committed by older children that incur a curse
(cf. Deut 17:16).
The promise of a long life to those who keep this commandment shows
how important it is for the individual, and also the importance the
family has for society. The Second Vatican Council summed up the value
of the family by calling it the “domestic church” (”Lumen Gentium”,
11; cf. John Paul II, “Familiaris Consortio”, 21).
20:13. The fifth commandment directly forbids vengeful killing of
one’s enemy, that is, murder; so it protects the sacredness of human
life. The prohibition on murder already comes across in the account of
the death of Abel (cf. Gen 4:10) and the precepts given to Noah (cf.
Gen 9:6): life is something that belongs to God alone.
Revelation and the teaching of the Church tell us more about the scope
of this precept: it is only in very specific circumstances (such as
social or personal self-defense) that a person may be deprived of his
or her life. Obviously, the killing of weaker members of society
(abortion, direct euthanasia) is a particularly grave sin.
The encyclical “Evangelium Vitae” spells out the Church s teaching on
this commandment which “has absolute value when it refers to the
‘innocent person’. [...] Therefore, by the authority which Christ
conferred upon Peter and his Successors, and in communion with the
Bishops of the Catholic Church, ‘I confirm that the direct and
voluntary killing of an innocent human being is always gravely
immoral’” (John Paul II, “Evangelium Vitae”, 57).
Our Lord taught that the positive meaning of this commandment was the
obligation to practise charity (cf. Mt 5:21-26): “In the Sermon on the
Mount, the Lord recalls the commandment, ‘You shall not kill’ (Mt
5:21), and adds to it the proscription of anger, hatred and vengeance.
Going further, Christ asks his disciples to turn the other cheek, to
love their enemies (cf. Mt 5:22-28). He did not defend himself and
told Peter to leave his sword in its sheath (cf. Mt 26:52)?”
(”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 2262).
20:14. The sixth commandment is orientated to safeguarding the
holiness of marriage. In the Old Testament there were very severe
penalties for those who committed adultery (cf. Deut 22:23ff; Lev
20:10). As Revelation progresses, it will become clear that not only
is adultery grave, because it damages the rights of the other spouse,
but every sexual disorder degrades the dignity of the person and is an
offense against God (ef., e.g., Prov 7:8-27; 23:27-28). Jesus Christ,
by his life and teaching, showed the positive thrust of this precept
(cf. Mt 5:27-32): “Jesus came to restore creation to the purity of its
origins. In the Sermon on the Mount, he interprets God’s plan
strictly: ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit
adultery.” But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman
lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart’ (Mt
5:27-28). What God has joined together, let not man put asunder (cf.
Mt 19:6). The tradition of the Church has understood the sixth
commandment as encompassing the whole of human sexuality?”
(”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 2336).
20:15. Because the Decalogue is regulating inter-personal
relationships, this commandment condemns firstly the abducting of
persons in order to sell them into slavery (cf. Deut 24:7) but
obviously it covers unjust appropriation of another’s goods. The
Church continues to remind us that every violation of the right to
property is unjust (cf. “Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 2409); but
this is particularly true if actions of that type lead to the enslavement
of human beings, or to depriving them of their dignity, as happens in
traffic in children, trade in human embryos, the taking of hostages,
arbitrary arrest or imprisonment, racial segregation, concentration
camps, etc. “The seventh commandment forbids acts or enterprises
that for any reason—selfish or ideological, commercial or
totalitarian—lead to the “enslavement of human beings”, to their being
bought, sold and exchanged like merchandise, in disregard for their
personal dignity. It is a sin against the dignity of persons and their
fundamental rights to reduce them by violence to their productive value
or to a source of profit. St Paul directed a Christian master to treat
his Christian slave ‘no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a
beloved brother...both in the flesh and in the Lord’ (Philem 16)”
(”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 24 14).
20:16. Giving false testimony in court can cause one’s neighbor
irreparable damage because an innocent person may be found guilty.
But, given that truth and fidelity in human relationships is the basis
of social life (cf. Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 26), this
commandment prohibits lying, defamation (cf. Sir 7:12-13), calumny
and the saying of anything that might detract from a neighbor’s dignity
(cf. Jas 3:1-12). “This moral prescription flows from the vocation of
the holy people to bear witness to their God who is the truth and
wills the truth. Offenses against the truth express by word or deed a
refusal to commit oneself to moral uprightness: they are fundamental
infidehties to God and, in this sense, they undermine the foundations
of the covenant” (”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 2464).
20:17. The wording of this precept is different from that in
Deuteronomy: there the distinction is made between coveting one’s
neighbor’s wife and coveting his goods (cf. Deut 5:21). “St John
distinguishes three kinds of covetousness or concupiscence: lust of
the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life (cf. 1 Jn 2:16). In the
Catholic catechetical tradition, the ninth commandment forbids carnal
concupiscence; the tenth forbids coveting another’s goods” (”Catechism
of the Catholic Church”, 2514).
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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: Matthew 13:18-23
Parable of the Sower. The Meaning of the Parables (Continuation)
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Commentary:
19. He does not understand because he does not love—not because he is not
clever enough: lack of love opens the door of the soul to the devil.
*********************************************************************************************
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.
| First reading | Exodus 20:1 - 17 © |
|---|---|
| Then God spoke all these words. He said, ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ‘You shall have no gods except me. ‘You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in heaven or on earth beneath or in the waters under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God and I punish the father’s fault in the sons, the grandsons, and the great-grandsons of those who hate me; but I show kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. ‘You shall not utter the name of the Lord your God to misuse it, for the Lord will not leave unpunished the man who utters his name to misuse it. ‘Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath for the Lord your God. You shall do no work that day, neither you nor your son nor your daughter nor your servants, men or women, nor your animals nor the stranger who lives with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that these hold, but on the seventh day he rested; that is why the Lord has blessed the sabbath day and made it sacred. ‘Honour your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God has given to you. ‘You shall not kill. ‘You shall not commit adultery. ‘You shall not steal. ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour. ‘You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his servant, man or woman, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is his.’ |
|
| Psalm or canticle: Psalm 18 |
| Gospel | Matthew 13:18 - 23 © |
|---|---|
| Jesus said to his disciples, ‘You, therefore, are to hear the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the evil one comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the man who received the seed on the edge of the path. The one who received it on patches of rock is the man who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But he has no root in him, he does not last; let some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, and he falls away at once. The one who received the seed in thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this world and the lure of riches choke the word and so he produces nothing. And the one who received the seed in rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it; he is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.’ | |
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 54 (55) |
|---|
| Against a faithless friend |
| Open your ears, O God, to my prayer, and do not hide when I call on you: turn to me and answer me. My thoughts are distracted and I am disturbed by the voice of my enemy and the oppression of the wicked. They let loose their wickedness on me, they persecute me in their anger. My heart is tied in a knot and the terrors of death lie upon me; fear and trembling cover me; terror holds me tight. I said, “Will no-one give me wings like a dove? I shall fly away and rest. I shall flee far away and remain all alone. I shall wait for him who will save me from the stormy wind and the tempest”. 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 54 (55) |
|---|
| Scatter them, Lord, and separate their tongues, for I see violence and conflict in the city. By day and by night they circle it high on its battlements. Within it are oppression and trouble; scheming and fraud fill its squares. For if my enemy had slandered me, I think I could have borne it. And if the one who hated me had trampled me, perhaps I could have hidden. But you – a man just like me, my companion and my friend! We had happy times together, we walked together in the house of God. 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 54 (55) |
|---|
| Let death break in upon them! Let them go down alive to the underworld, for wickedness shares their home. As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord will rescue me. Evening, morning, noon – I shall watch and groan, and he will hear my voice. He will redeem my soul and give it peace from those who attack me – for very many are my enemies. God will hear and will bring them low, God, the eternal. They will never reform: they do not fear God. That man – he stretched out his hand against his allies: he corrupted his own covenant. His face was smoother than butter, but his heart was at war; his words were softer than oil, but they were sharp as drawn swords. Throw all your cares on the Lord and he will give you sustenance. He will not let the just be buffeted for ever. No – but you, Lord, will lead the wicked to the gaping mouth of destruction. The men of blood and guile will not live half their days. But I, Lord, will put my trust in you. 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 Corinthians 5:1 - 21 © |
|---|---|
| We know that when the tent that we live in on earth is folded up, there is a house built by God for us, an everlasting home not made by human hands, in the heavens. In this present state, it is true, we groan as we wait with longing to put on our heavenly home over the other; we should like to be found wearing clothes and not without them. Yes, we groan and find it a burden being still in this tent, not that we want to strip it off, but to put the second garment over it and to have what must die taken up into life. This is the purpose for which God made us, and he has given us the pledge of the Spirit. We are always full of confidence, then, when we remember that to live in the body means to be exiled from the Lord, going as we do by faith and not by sight – we are full of confidence, I say, and actually want to be exiled from the body and make our home with the Lord. Whether we are living in the body or exiled from it, we are intent on pleasing him. For all the truth about us will be brought out in the law court of Christ, and each of us will get what he deserves for the things he did in the body, good or bad. And so it is with the fear of the Lord in mind that we try to win people over. God knows us for what we really are, and I hope that in your consciences you know us too. This is not another attempt to commend ourselves to you: we are simply giving you reasons to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer ready for the people who can boast more about what they seem than what they are. If we seemed out of our senses, it was for God; but if we are being reasonable now, it is for your sake. And this is because the love of Christ overwhelms us when we reflect that if one man has died for all, then all men should be dead; and the reason he died for all was so that living men should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for them. From now onwards, therefore, we do not judge anyone by the standards of the flesh. Even if we did once know Christ in the flesh, that is not how we know him now. And for anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here. It is all God’s work. It was God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the work of handing on this reconciliation. In other words, God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, not holding men’s faults against them, and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled. So we are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were appealing through us, and the appeal that we make in Christ’s name is: be reconciled to God. For our sake God made the sinless one into sin, so that in him we might become the goodness of God. |
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| Reading | The Confessions of St Augustine |
|---|---|
| Christ died for all | |
| In your unfathomable mercy you first gave the humble certain pointers to the true Mediator, and then sent him, so that by his example they might learn even a humility like his. This Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, appeared to stand between mortal sinners and the God who is immortal and just: like us he was mortal, but like God he was just. Now the wage due to justice is life and peace; and so, through the justice whereby he was one with God, he broke the power of death over malefactors and by that act rendered them just, using that very mortality which he had himself chosen to share with them. How you loved us, O good Father, who spared not even your only Son, but gave him up for us evil-doers! How you loved us, for whose sake he who deemed it no robbery to be your equal was made subservient even to the point of dying on the cross! Alone of all, he was free among the dead, for he had power to lay down his life and power to retrieve it. For our sake he stood to you as both victor and victim, and victor because victim; for us he stood to you as priest and sacrifice, and priest because sacrifice, making us your children instead of your servants by being born of you in order to serve us. There is good reason for my solid hope in him, because you will heal all my infirmities through him who sits at your right hand and intercedes for us. Were it not so, I should despair; for many and grave are those infirmities, many and grave; but wider-reaching is your healing power. We might have despaired of ourselves, thinking your Word remote from any conjunction with mankind, had he not become flesh and made his dwelling among us. Filled with terror by my sins and my load of misery, I had been turning over in my mind a plan to flee into solitude; but you forbade me, and strengthened me by your words: To this end Christ died for all, that they who are alive might live not for themselves but for him who died for them. See, then, Lord: I cast my care upon you so that I may live, and I will contemplate the wonders you have revealed. You know how stupid and weak I am: teach me and heal me. Your only Son, in whom are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge, has redeemed me with his blood. Let not the proud disparage me, for I am mindful of my ransom. I eat it, I drink it, I dispense it to others, and as a poor man I long to be filled with it among those who are fed and feasted. And then, let those who seek him praise the Lord. |
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| Concluding Prayer |
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| O Lord, be merciful to your servants and give them yet more of the gifts of your grace. On fire with faith, hope and love, may they keep your commandments with unceasing watchfulness. 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. |
| Friday, July 27, 2007 Feria |
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Collect: Lord, be merciful to your people. Fill us with your gifts and make us always eager to serve you in faith, hope, and love. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Friday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Pantaleon, martyr
Because of his Christian faith he was seized by order of Emperor Maximian, tied to the rack and scorched with torches. But in these tortures Christ appeared, granting him further strength. Finally a stroke of the sword ended his sufferings (Martyrology). He is the patron of physicians and belongs to the "Fourteen Holy Helpers."
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
Patron: bachelors; consumption; doctors; midwives; physicians; torture victims; tuberculosis; protection of domestic animals.
Symbols: Budding olive branch or olive tree; vials of medicine; lion; club; sword and vase.
Things to Do:
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 50 (51) |
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| God, have mercy on me |
| Take pity on me, Lord, in your mercy; in your abundance of mercy wipe out my guilt. Wash me ever more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I know how guilty I am: my sin is always before me. Against you, you alone have I sinned, and I have done evil in your sight. Know this, so that you may give just sentence and an unbiased judgement. See, I was conceived in guilt, in sin my mother conceived me; but you love truth in the heart, and deep within me you have shown me your wisdom. You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be made clean; you will wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. You will make me hear the sound of joy and gladness; the bones you have crushed will rejoice. Turn your face away from my sins and wipe out all my transgressions; create a pure heart in me, God, put a steadfast spirit into me. Do not send me away from your presence, or withdraw your holy spirit from me; give me again the joy of your salvation, and be ready to strengthen me with your spirit. I will teach the unjust your ways, and the impious will return to you. Free me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, God my saviour, and my voice will glory in your justice. Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will proclaim your praise; for you do not delight in sacrifices: if I offered you a burnt offering, it would not please you. The true sacrifice is a broken spirit: a contrite and humble heart, O God, you will not refuse. Be pleased, Lord, to look kindly on Sion, so that the walls of Jerusalem can be rebuilt, Then indeed you will accept the proper sacrifices, gifts and burnt offerings; then indeed will bullocks be laid upon your altar. 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 | Tobit 13 |
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| Thanksgiving for the freeing of the people | |
| Bless the Lord, his chosen ones: all of you, praise his greatness. Keep feast-days of rejoicing and proclaim his holy name. Jerusalem, holy city: he will punish you for what you have done. Thank the Lord for his good deeds, and bless the eternal king, so that in you, once more, with gladness, your tabernacle may be built, so that in you he may make all exiles rejoice, so that in you he may care for the distressed for all ages, for ever. Your bright light will shine out to the ends of the earth: many nations will come to you from afar. From the farthest corners of the world they will come to your holy name carrying gifts in their hands for the King of heaven. Generation on generation, they will proclaim their joy and the name of the chosen city will endure for ever. So rejoice and be glad among the children of the just, for they will be brought together and bless the eternal Lord. Happy are those who love you, fortunate those who rejoice in your peace. My soul, bless the Lord, the great King, for in Jerusalem his house will be built, to stand 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 147 (147B) |
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| God, the foundation of Jerusalem |
| Praise the Lord, Jerusalem — Sion, praise your God. For he has strengthened the bars of your gates, he has blessed your children. He keeps your borders in peace, he fills you with the richest wheat. He sends out his command over the earth, and swiftly runs his word. He sends down snow that is like wool, frost that is like ashes. He sends hailstones like crumbs — who can withstand his cold? He will send out his word, and all will be melted; his spirit will breathe, and the waters will flow. He proclaims his word to Jacob, his laws and judgements to Israel. He has not done this for other nations: he has not shown them his judgements. 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 | Galatians 2:19 - 20 © |
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| I have been crucified with Christ, and I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in this body I live in faith: faith in the Son of God who loved me and who sacrificed himself for my sake. | |
| 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. |
| Lord, be generous with your grace to those who pray to you: by your power, may they follow your commandments closely, receive consolation in this present life, and embrace the joys that are to come. 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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How Is My Soil?
Matthew 13:18-23
Introductory Prayer:Lord, I am very weak and in need of your grace. Without your help, my soil will remain dry and barren. I believe, Lord, that you wish to nourish my soil. I hope in you Lord, because you are my Lord and my God. You Lord, are my hope. I love you Lord, because you want to do much for me to assist me and aid me. I want this prayer to be a sign of my love for you. Petition:Lord, nourish my soil with your word and your love. 1. The Path. We can be uncooperative at times and hinder God’s grace in our lives. Often he wants to do much, but we disregard or ignore him. This is what happens to the seed that lands on the path. It is there, out in the open, clearly on the ground, waiting for the path to open up and take it in. However, the path refuses the seed. It is hard, unwilling and unyielding. We can be like this with God. God wants to come into our hearts, perhaps telling us something obvious that we need to hear for our own good. But we disregard what he tells us. We ignore him, and we let the Evil One come and strip us of the good that we would have received had we been receptive to the inspirations of the Lord. 2. The Rocky Ground. Many times we see the goal. We know what we want. But when it comes to putting what we want into action, we fall short. We stop. We are enthusiastic about setting out on the road to spiritual greatness, but the enthusiasm quickly fades. This is often the case because we are unwilling to make the effort to do whatever it takes to develop deep roots. We should always seek interior balance, spiritual stability, joyful, and simple dedication of our whole being to God. This dedication consists in a sincere and practical conquest of out selfishness. A real and objective, daily struggle is necessary for every soul who wishes to cooperate with God. One who wishes to do these things knows that he cannot be shallow. The roots have to be deep, and this takes patience and time. 3. The Rich Soil. The rich soil receives the Word of God and lets it sink in. It goes deep. The roots of the seed extend underground, gaining a strong hold to support a plant that will soon thrive. The soil provides the base for the seed to take hold. This happens through prayer, sacrifice, the sacraments, and the exercise of virtue. The seed, in turn, embeds itself in the soil. It entrenches itself in the soil through sanctifying grace, the promptings of the Holy Spirit. One who possesses such soil is willing to let those roots establish themselves. Such soil enables the seed to sprout and produces a rich harvest from the grace received. Conversation with Christ: Lord, I want to provide you with rich soil. I want to give you what I can so that your seed may bear fruit in me. I realize, Lord, that receiving your word is not enough. It is also up to me. I have to do my part to assist you. Give me the ears to hear your word and the soil to receive it well so that I may bear a rich harvest. Resolution: I will make one sacrifice at a meal to form my will and to grow in self-dominion. |
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| Other Articles by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D. Printer Friendly Version |
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| He Knows: Let Him Show You! | ||
Ex 20:1-17 / Mt 13:18-23
In the course of our individual lifetimes, how often have we heard the stories of Jesus? There is no counting them. The Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, the Woman Caught in the Act of Adultery — we know them well. They're a part of the "furniture" of our lives. But it seems fair to ask: What have we learned from them? Have our lives taken on a shape that would indicate we've listened to the inside of their stories? If not, why not?
Jesus offers us an answer in today's gospel. His message may have gotten to our hearts, but it keeps getting choked and drowned out there. The business of daily life distracts us and pulls our attentions in other directions, and we find ourselves saying of Jesus' message: I just haven't got time for that! What an irony: The business of daily life is exactly what Jesus is talking about! Doing each day well, with grace and purpose, is what He is trying to teach us.
Don't squander your days by inattention. Jesus knows where life is to be found. Let Him show you!
Off for the Children’s Mass that ends our Vacation Bible School. (We had 130 children — Not bad for a parish of only 600.
Then will try to catch up on some other things that I have missed through the week since I have been away taking care of my body.
Pray that O dpn’t try to overdo.
Brother Guy Consolmagno, Brother Astronomer: Adventures Of A Vatican Scientist (2000)
He splits his time between the Vatican's Advanced Technology Telescope in Arizona, and Castel Gandolfo just oustide Rome.
Curator of of the Vatican's meteorite collection, he makes a very interesting case for the unity of science with theology.
God's grace to all....
| Mt 13:18-23 | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | Douay-Rheims | Vulgate |
| 18 | Hear you therefore the parable of the sower. | vos ergo audite parabolam seminantis |
| 19 | When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, there cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart: this is he that received the seed by the way side. | omnis qui audit verbum regni et non intellegit venit malus et rapit quod seminatum est in corde eius hic est qui secus viam seminatus est |
| 20 | And he that received the seed upon stony ground, is he that heareth the word, and immediately receiveth it with joy. | qui autem supra petrosa seminatus est hic est qui verbum audit et continuo cum gaudio accipit illud |
| 21 | Yet hath he not root in himself, but is only for a time: and when there ariseth tribulation and persecution because of the word, he is presently scandalized. | non habet autem in se radicem sed est temporalis facta autem tribulatione et persecutione propter verbum continuo scandalizatur |
| 22 | And he that received the seed among thorns, is he that heareth the word, and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choketh up the word, and he becometh fruitless. | qui autem est seminatus in spinis hic est qui verbum audit et sollicitudo saeculi istius et fallacia divitiarum suffocat verbum et sine fructu efficitur |
| 23 | But he that received the seed upon good ground, is he that heareth the word, and understandeth, and beareth fruit, and yieldeth the one an hundredfold, and another sixty, and another thirty. | qui vero in terra bona seminatus est hic est qui audit verbum et intellegit et fructum adfert et facit aliud quidem centum aliud autem sexaginta porro aliud triginta |
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
After the rotten week my stocks had it was very comforting to hear those words at mass today.
Thanks Salvation. Hope you are feeling well.
Much better, thanks. Sorry about your week.
You have FReepmail.
And Pope Benedict talks about science and theology at the beginning of his new book, Jesus of Nazareth.
I think every Christian should read it.
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