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September Devotion: Our Lady of Sorrows

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Litany of Our Lady Of 7 Sorrows

Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God, the Father of heaven, God the Son, Redeemer of the world, . God the Holy Ghost, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, Mother of the Crucified, Sorrowful Mother, Mournful Mother, Sighing Mother, Afflicted Mother, Foresaken Mother, . Desolate Mother, Mother most sad, Mother set around with anguish, Mother overwhelmed by grief, Mother transfixed by a sword, Mother crucified in thy heart, Mother bereaved of thy Son, Sighing Dove, Mother of Dolors, Fount of tears, Sea of bitterness, Field of tribulation, Mass of suffering, Mirror of patience, Rock of constancy, Remedy in perplexity, Joy of the afflicted, Ark of the desolate, Refuge of the abandoned,. Shiled of the oppressed, Conqueror of the incredulous, Solace of the wretched, Medicine of the sick, Help of the faint, Strength of the weak, Protectress of those who fight, Haven of the shipwrecked, Calmer of tempests, Companion of the sorrowful, Retreat of those who groan, Terror of the treacherous, Standard-bearer of the Martyrs, Treasure of the Faithful, Light of Confessors, Pearl of Virgins, . Comfort of Widows, . Joy of all Saints, Queen of thy Servants, Holy Mary, who alone art unexampled, Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin,	Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, graciously hear us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray, --- O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of grief pierced through the most sweet soul of Thy glorious Blessed Virgin Mother Mary: grant that we, who celebrate the memory of her Seven Sorrows, may obtain the happy effect of Thy Passion, Who lives and reigns world without end, Amen.
The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady 1. The Prophecy of Simeon 2. The Flight into Egypt . 3. The Loss of Jesus in the Temple 4. Mary meets Jesus Carrying the Cross 5. The Crucifixion 6. Mary Receives the Dead Body of Her Son 7. The Burial of Her Son and Closing of the Tomb.

Consecration to Our Lady of Sorrows Most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, Mary, would that I could be in Heaven, there to contemplate the honors rendered to thee by the Most Holy Trinity and by the whole Heavenly Court! But since I am still a pilgrim in this vale of tears, receive from me, thy unworthy servant and a poor sinner, the most sincere homage and the most perfect act of vassalage a human creature can offer thee. In thy Immaculate Heart, pierced with so many swords of sorrow, I place today my poor soul forever; receive me as a partaker in thy dolors, and never suffer that I should depart from that Cross on which thy only begotten Son expired for me. With thee, O Mary, I will endure all the sufferings, contradictions, infirmities, with which it will please thy Divine Son to visit me in this life. All of them I offer to thee, in memory of the Dolors which thou didst suffer during thy life, that every thought of my mind, every beating of my heart may henceforward be an act of compassion to thy Sorrows, and of complacency for the glory thou now enjoyest in Heaven. Since then, O Dear Mother, I now compassionate thy Dolors, and rejoice in seeing thee glorified, do thou also have compassion on me, and reconcile me to thy Son Jesus, that I may become thy true and loyal son (daughter); come on my last day and assist me in my last agony, even as thou wert present at the Agony of thy Divine Son Jesus, that from this painful exile I may go to Heaven, there to be made partaker of thy glory. Amen.

Homilies on Our Lady of Sorrows

Starkenburg:Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Sorrows Shrine

Our Mother of Sorrows

ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, OF THE DOLOURS OF MARY, The Glories [Sorrows] of Mary

Our Lady of Sorrows - Sep 15

Today is the Memorial of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Please bump these threads throughout the day. Thanks.

Mother Teresa's Reaction to Pres. Clinton's Access to Abortion Clinics Act Recalled by Fr. Pavone

Mother Teresa of Calcutta on abortion

There are no atheists in the streets of Calcutta

Christian Leaders Weigh in on Mother Teresa's 'Crisis of Faith'

A Suffering Servant: The Letters of Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa's Letters Show Heroic Spiritual Struggle

Mother Teresa 'simply loved life'

Mother Teresa's canonisation not at risk

Mother Teresa Did Not Feel Christ's Presence for Last Half of Her Life, Letters Reveal

Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith

Quotes From Mother Teresa of Calcutta on the Most Blessed Sacrament(catholic Caucus)

Joy and Hope by Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

9/5/97 Mother Teresa (Gonxhe Bojaxhiu) (b.1910),dies of heart failure in Calcutta

Mother Teresa on Abortion

Priestly Celibacy by Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta - October 19, 2003

The gift of Priestly celibacy as a sign of the charity of Christ, by Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Diocesan Inquiry on Mother Teresa's Sainthood Concludes in Calcutta [Read Only]

Mass Readings

First reading	Colossians 1:1 - 8 ©
From Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy to the saints in Colossae, our faithful brothers in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. We have never failed to remember you in our prayers and to give thanks for you to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ever since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you show towards all the saints because of the hope which is stored up for you in heaven. It is only recently that you heard of this, when it was announced in the message of the truth. The Good News which has reached you is spreading all over the world and producing the same results as it has among you ever since the day when you heard about God’s grace and understood what this really is. Epaphras, who taught you, is one of our closest fellow workers and a faithful deputy for us as Christ’s servant, and it was he who told us all about your love in the Spirit.

First reading

Colossians 1:1 - 8 ©

From Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy to the saints in Colossae, our faithful brothers in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
We have never failed to remember you in our prayers and to give thanks for you to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ever since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you show towards all the saints because of the hope which is stored up for you in heaven. It is only recently that you heard of this, when it was announced in the message of the truth. The Good News which has reached you is spreading all over the world and producing the same results as it has among you ever since the day when you heard about God’s grace and understood what this really is. Epaphras, who taught you, is one of our closest fellow workers and a faithful deputy for us as Christ’s servant, and it was he who told us all about your love in the Spirit.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 51

Gospel	Luke 4:38 - 44 ©
Leaving the synagogue Jesus went to Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever and they asked him to do something for her. Leaning over her he rebuked the fever and it left her. And she immediately got up and began to wait on them. At sunset all those who had friends suffering from diseases of one kind or another brought them to him, and laying his hands on each he cured them. Devils too came out of many people, howling, ‘You are the Son of God’. But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ. When daylight came he left the house and made his way to a lonely place. The crowds went to look for him, and when they had caught up with him they wanted to prevent him leaving them, but he answered, ‘I must proclaim the Good News of the kingdom of God to the other towns too, because that is what I was sent to do’. And he continued his preaching in the synagogues of Judaea.

Gospel

Luke 4:38 - 44 ©

Leaving the synagogue Jesus went to Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever and they asked him to do something for her. Leaning over her he rebuked the fever and it left her. And she immediately got up and began to wait on them.
At sunset all those who had friends suffering from diseases of one kind or another brought them to him, and laying his hands on each he cured them. Devils too came out of many people, howling, ‘You are the Son of God’. But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ.
When daylight came he left the house and made his way to a lonely place. The crowds went to look for him, and when they had caught up with him they wanted to prevent him leaving them, but he answered, ‘I must proclaim the Good News of the kingdom of God to the other towns too, because that is what I was sent to do’. And he continued his preaching in the synagogues of Judaea.

Ofice of Readings and Invitatory Prayer

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 38 (39)
A prayer in sickness
I said, “I will watch my ways, I will try not to sin in my speech. I will set a guard on my mouth, for as long as my enemies are standing against me”. I stayed quiet and dumb, spoke neither evil nor good, but my pain was renewed. My heart grew hot within me, and fire blazed in my thoughts. Then I spoke out loud: “Lord, make me know my end. Let me know the number of my days, so that I know how short my life is to be”. All the length of my days is a handsbreadth or two, the expanse of my life is as nothing before you. For in your sight all men are nothingness: man passes away, like a shadow. Nothingness, although he is busy: he builds up treasure, but who will collect it? 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 38 (39)

A prayer in sickness

I said, “I will watch my ways,
I will try not to sin in my speech.
I will set a guard on my mouth,
for as long as my enemies are standing against me”.

I stayed quiet and dumb, spoke neither evil nor good,
but my pain was renewed.
My heart grew hot within me,
and fire blazed in my thoughts.
Then I spoke out loud:
“Lord, make me know my end.
Let me know the number of my days,
so that I know how short my life is to be”.

All the length of my days is a handsbreadth or two,
the expanse of my life is as nothing before you.
For in your sight all men are nothingness:
man passes away, like a shadow.
Nothingness, although he is busy:
he builds up treasure, but who will collect it?

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 38 (39)
What, now, can I look forward to, Lord? My hope is in you. Rescue me from all my sins, do not make me a thing for fools to laugh at. I have sworn to be dumb, I will not open my mouth: for it is at your hands that I am suffering. Aim your blows away from me, for I am crushed by the weight of your hand. You rebuke and chastise us for our sins. Like the moth you consume all we desire – for all men are nothingness. Listen, Lord, to my prayer: turn your ear to my cries. Do not be deaf to my weeping, for I come as a stranger before you, a wanderer like my fathers before me. Turn away from me, give me respite, before I leave this world, before I am no more. 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 38 (39)

What, now, can I look forward to, Lord?
My hope is in you.
Rescue me from all my sins,
do not make me a thing for fools to laugh at.
I have sworn to be dumb, I will not open my mouth:
for it is at your hands that I am suffering.

Aim your blows away from me,
for I am crushed by the weight of your hand.
You rebuke and chastise us for our sins.
Like the moth you consume all we desire
– for all men are nothingness.

Listen, Lord, to my prayer:
turn your ear to my cries.
Do not be deaf to my weeping,
for I come as a stranger before you,
a wanderer like my fathers before me.
Turn away from me, give me respite,
before I leave this world,
before I am no more.

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 51 (52)
Against calumny
Why do you take pride in your malice, you expert in evil-doing? All day long you plan your traps, your tongue is sharp as a razor – you master of deceit! You have chosen malice over kindness; you speak lies rather than the truth; your tongue is in love with every deceit. For all this, in the end God will destroy you. He will tear you out and expel you from your dwelling, uproot you from the land of the living. The upright will see and be struck with awe: they will deride the evil-doer. “Here is the man who did not make God his refuge, but put his hope in the abundance of his riches and in the power of his stratagems”. But I flourish like an olive in the palace of God. I hope in the kindness of God, for ever, and through all ages. I shall praise you for all time for what you have done. I shall put my hope in your name and in its goodness in the sight of your chosen ones. 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 51 (52)

Against calumny

Why do you take pride in your malice,
you expert in evil-doing?
All day long you plan your traps,
your tongue is sharp as a razor –
you master of deceit!
You have chosen malice over kindness;
you speak lies rather than the truth;
your tongue is in love with every deceit.

For all this, in the end God will destroy you.
He will tear you out and expel you from your dwelling,
uproot you from the land of the living.
The upright will see and be struck with awe:
they will deride the evil-doer.
“Here is the man who did not make God his refuge,
but put his hope in the abundance of his riches
and in the power of his stratagems”.

But I flourish like an olive in the palace of God.
I hope in the kindness of God,
for ever, and through all ages.
I shall praise you for all time for what you have done.
I shall put my hope in your name and in its goodness
in the sight of your chosen ones.

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	Jeremiah 26:1 - 15 ©
At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘The Lord says this: Stand in the court of the Temple of the Lord. To all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the Temple of the Lord you must speak all the words I have commanded you to tell them; do not omit one syllable. Perhaps they will listen and each turn from his evil way: if so, I shall relent and not bring the disaster on them which I intended for their misdeeds. Say to them, “The Lord says this: If you will not listen to me by following my Law which I put before you, by paying attention to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send so persistently to you, without your ever listening to them, I will treat this Temple as I treated Shiloh, and make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth”.’ The priests and prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah say these words in the Temple of the Lord. When Jeremiah had finished saying everything that the Lord had ordered him to say to all the people, the priests and prophets seized hold of him and said, ‘You shall die! Why have you made this prophecy in the name of the Lord, “This Temple will be like Shiloh, and this city will be desolate, and uninhabited”?’ And the people were all crowding round Jeremiah in the Temple of the Lord. Hearing of this, the officials of Judah went up from the royal palace to the Temple of the Lord and took their seats at the entry of the New Gate of the Temple of the Lord. The priests and prophets then addressed the officials and all the people, ‘This man deserves to die, since he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears’. Jeremiah, however, replied to the people as follows, ‘The Lord himself sent me to say all the things you have heard against this Temple and this city. So now amend your behaviour and actions, listen to the voice of the Lord your God: if you do, he will relent and not bring down on you the disaster he has pronounced against you. For myself, I am as you see in your hands. Do whatever you please or think right with me. But be sure of this, that if you put me to death, you will be bringing innocent blood on yourselves, on this city and on its citizens, since the Lord has truly sent me to you to say all these words in your hearing.’

Reading

Jeremiah 26:1 - 15 ©

At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘The Lord says this: Stand in the court of the Temple of the Lord. To all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the Temple of the Lord you must speak all the words I have commanded you to tell them; do not omit one syllable. Perhaps they will listen and each turn from his evil way: if so, I shall relent and not bring the disaster on them which I intended for their misdeeds. Say to them, “The Lord says this: If you will not listen to me by following my Law which I put before you, by paying attention to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send so persistently to you, without your ever listening to them, I will treat this Temple as I treated Shiloh, and make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth”.’
The priests and prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah say these words in the Temple of the Lord. When Jeremiah had finished saying everything that the Lord had ordered him to say to all the people, the priests and prophets seized hold of him and said, ‘You shall die! Why have you made this prophecy in the name of the Lord, “This Temple will be like Shiloh, and this city will be desolate, and uninhabited”?’ And the people were all crowding round Jeremiah in the Temple of the Lord. Hearing of this, the officials of Judah went up from the royal palace to the Temple of the Lord and took their seats at the entry of the New Gate of the Temple of the Lord.
The priests and prophets then addressed the officials and all the people, ‘This man deserves to die, since he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears’. Jeremiah, however, replied to the people as follows,
‘The Lord himself sent me to say all the things you have heard against this Temple and this city. So now amend your behaviour and actions, listen to the voice of the Lord your God: if you do, he will relent and not bring down on you the disaster he has pronounced against you. For myself, I am as you see in your hands. Do whatever you please or think right with me. But be sure of this, that if you put me to death, you will be bringing innocent blood on yourselves, on this city and on its citizens, since the Lord has truly sent me to you to say all these words in your hearing.’

Reading	From a commentary on John by Origen
Christ spoke of his body as a temple
Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. It seems to me that Jesus meant the Jews in this episode to stand for sensual men and those desirous of carnal and sensual things. These Jews were angry at his expulsion of the people who were turning his Father’s house into a market. So they asked for a sign to justify these actions, a sign that would show that the Word of God, whom they refused to accept, was acting rightly. The Saviour’s reply combines a statement about the temple with a prophecy about his own body, for in answer to their question: What sign can you give to justify your conduct? he says: Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. Indeed, I think that both the temple and the body of Jesus can be seen together as a type of the Church. For the Church is being built out of living stones; it is in process of becoming a spiritual dwelling for a holy priesthood, raised on the foundations of apostles and prophets, with Christ as its chief cornerstone. Hence it bears the name “temple”. On the other hand, it is written: You are the body of Christ, and individually members of it. Thus even the harmonious alignment of the stones should seem to be destroyed and fragmented and, as described in the twenty-first psalm, all the bones which go to make up Christ’s body should seem to be scattered by insidious attacks in persecutions or times of trouble, or by those who in days of persecution undermine the unity of the temple, nevertheless the temple will be rebuilt and the body will rise again on the third day, after the day of evil which threatens it and the day of consummation which follows. For the third day will dawn upon a new heaven and a new earth when these bones that form the whole house of Israel are raised up on that great day of the Lord, when death has been defeated. So the resurrection of Christ, accomplished after his suffering on the cross, embraces the mystery of the resurrection of his whole body. For just as that physical body of Christ was crucified and buried, and afterward raised up, so in the same way the whole body of Christ’s holy ones has been crucified and lives no longer with its own life. For each of them, like Paul, makes his boast of nothing else but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which he has himself been crucified to the world, and the world to him. But each Christian has not only been crucified with Christ and crucified to the world; he has been buried with Christ too, as Paul tells us: We have been buried with Christ. But as though already in possession of some pledge of the resurrection, Paul goes on to say: And we have risen with him.

Reading

From a commentary on John by Origen

Christ spoke of his body as a temple

Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.
It seems to me that Jesus meant the Jews in this episode to stand for sensual men and those desirous of carnal and sensual things. These Jews were angry at his expulsion of the people who were turning his Father’s house into a market. So they asked for a sign to justify these actions, a sign that would show that the Word of God, whom they refused to accept, was acting rightly. The Saviour’s reply combines a statement about the temple with a prophecy about his own body, for in answer to their question: What sign can you give to justify your conduct? he says: Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.
Indeed, I think that both the temple and the body of Jesus can be seen together as a type of the Church. For the Church is being built out of living stones; it is in process of becoming a spiritual dwelling for a holy priesthood, raised on the foundations of apostles and prophets, with Christ as its chief cornerstone. Hence it bears the name “temple”. On the other hand, it is written: You are the body of Christ, and individually members of it. Thus even the harmonious alignment of the stones should seem to be destroyed and fragmented and, as described in the twenty-first psalm, all the bones which go to make up Christ’s body should seem to be scattered by insidious attacks in persecutions or times of trouble, or by those who in days of persecution undermine the unity of the temple, nevertheless the temple will be rebuilt and the body will rise again on the third day, after the day of evil which threatens it and the day of consummation which follows. For the third day will dawn upon a new heaven and a new earth when these bones that form the whole house of Israel are raised up on that great day of the Lord, when death has been defeated. So the resurrection of Christ, accomplished after his suffering on the cross, embraces the mystery of the resurrection of his whole body.
For just as that physical body of Christ was crucified and buried, and afterward raised up, so in the same way the whole body of Christ’s holy ones has been crucified and lives no longer with its own life. For each of them, like Paul, makes his boast of nothing else but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which he has himself been crucified to the world, and the world to him. But each Christian has not only been crucified with Christ and crucified to the world; he has been buried with Christ too, as Paul tells us: We have been buried with Christ. But as though already in possession of some pledge of the resurrection, Paul goes on to say: And we have risen with him.

Concluding Prayer
God of power and might, all that is perfect belongs to you. Fill us with love of your name: increase our zeal and nourish what is good in us; watch over us and preserve what you have nourished. 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.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Feria

First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:

Colossians 1:1-8
Psalm 52:10-11
Luke 4:38-44

I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of the hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.

-- St. Paul in his second letter to Timothy (2 Tim 1:6-8)

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings (on USCCB site):
» September 05, 2007
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Collect: Almighty God, our hope and our strength, without you we falter. Help us to follow Christ and to live according to your will. 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.

« September 05, 2007 »

Wednesday of the Twenty-Second Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Laurence Justinian, Bishop and Confessor

St. Laurence Giustiniani was one of the great Italian Saints of the 15th century. A great religious as well as a great bishop, he maintained his austerity as Patriarch of Venice. His mother had planned a glorious career for him, but he preferred a simple and holy life. He joined the canons of St. George of Alga and lived among them in constant prayer and penance until Eugene IV called him to the episcopate. Finally, he became the first Patriarch of Venice when the title was transferred from Grado: at that period the city reached the apex of its power and glory. He combated the excesses of humanism and his austerity made him an example to great and simple alike. He died in 1455. Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar today was his feast.

St. Lawrence Justinian

Lawrence, an illustrious example of humility, the "ornament and glory of bishops" (according to Pope Eugene IV), was the first patriarch of Venice. A very pious youth, he was favored in his nineteenth year with a vision of the Eternal Wisdom in the guise of a maiden encircled with light. She invited him to seek her with happiness, rather than satiate his baser lusts. He obeyed the invitation. Soon thereafter he became a clerk regular of St. George on the island of Alga, later bishop of Venice.

Some of St. Lawrence's special charisms were the gift of tears, power over devils, prophecy. One Christmas night the Christ-Child appeared to him. When an attempt was made during his last sickness to put him on a more comfortable bed, he refused this pleasure with the words, "My Savior died not on feathers but on the hard wood of the Cross," and requested to be laid on his usual couch. As he felt his last moments approaching, he lifted his eyes to heaven and said, "I am coming, good Jesus, to You," and slept blessedly in the Lord (January 8, 1455). At the time Venice was at the zenith of its influence and wealth. But God made that proud city understand that her greatness resulted more from the sanctity of her poor patriarch Lawrence than from the diplomacy of her doges and the power of her galleys.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.

Symbols: Bishop’s mitre; bishop’s crosier.

When he was 19, Laurence had a vision of the Eternal Wisdom in the guise of a maiden encircled with light. She invited him to seek her with happiness, rather than satiate his baser lusts.

Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 76 (77)
Remembering the works of the Lord
I cried out loud to the Lord, cried out to God, and he turned to me. In my time of trouble I sought for God, my hands stretched out all night long, tireless in supplication. My soul will not be consoled: I think of God, and I sigh; I meditate, and my spirit fails. You have kept me awake, my eyes open; in my distress, I did not speak. I pondered on the days of old, thought through the immemorial years. In the night I meditated in my heart. I was troubled, and I asked my soul: Will God reject you for ever, will he never again take you into his favour? Has his kindness ended for ever, his word come to an end for all generations? Will God forget to show mercy, will he lock up his mercies in his anger? And I said, “I am wounded indeed, that the Most High has changed”. I will remember the works of the Lord. I will remember your wonders, from the beginning. I will ponder on all you have done, think deeply through all your great deeds. O God, your ways are holy: what god is as great as our God? You are God, you work wonders, you made known your strength to your people. By your own action you redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and of Joseph. The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and writhed, stirred up even to their depths. The clouds poured down water, the clouds sounded their voice, your arrows shot forth. Your voice thundered in the whirlwind, your lightnings lit up the world, the earth trembled and shook. Your way led through the sea, your paths through the great waters, your steps left no trace behind them. You led your people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron. 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 76 (77)

Remembering the works of the Lord

I cried out loud to the Lord,
cried out to God, and he turned to me.
In my time of trouble I sought for God,
my hands stretched out all night long,
tireless in supplication.
My soul will not be consoled:
I think of God, and I sigh;
I meditate, and my spirit fails.

You have kept me awake, my eyes open;
in my distress, I did not speak.
I pondered on the days of old,
thought through the immemorial years.
In the night I meditated in my heart.
I was troubled, and I asked my soul:

Will God reject you for ever,
will he never again take you into his favour?
Has his kindness ended for ever,
his word come to an end for all generations?
Will God forget to show mercy,
will he lock up his mercies in his anger?

And I said, “I am wounded indeed,
that the Most High has changed”.
I will remember the works of the Lord.
I will remember your wonders, from the beginning.
I will ponder on all you have done,
think deeply through all your great deeds.

O God, your ways are holy:
what god is as great as our God?
You are God, you work wonders,
you made known your strength to your people.
By your own action you redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and of Joseph.

The waters saw you, O God,
the waters saw you and writhed,
stirred up even to their depths.
The clouds poured down water,
the clouds sounded their voice,
your arrows shot forth.
Your voice thundered in the whirlwind,
your lightnings lit up the world,
the earth trembled and shook.

Your way led through the sea,
your paths through the great waters,
your steps left no trace behind them.
You led your people like a flock,
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

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	1 Samuel 2
The song of Hannah, mother of Samuel
My heart rejoices in the Lord, my strength is raised up in the name of my God. I cry out in triumph over my enemies as I rejoice in your deliverance. No-one is like the Lord, for he is holy; no-one is like our God, for he is strong. Do not pile boasting upon boasting: keep proud words far from your mouth, for the Lord is the God of all knowledge and the judge of all actions. The bow of the mighty is broken, and the weak are clothed in strength. Those who fed well must hire themselves out, for bread; but the hungry are hungry no longer. The barren woman has given birth to many; but she who had many sons is left desolate. The Lord brings death and brings life; he leads down to the underworld and rescues from it. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he lays low and raises up. He lifts the needy from the dust and the poor from the dunghill to sit among princes to sit on the throne of glory. To the Lord belong the poles of the earth; from them he has suspended the world. He will keep safe the feet of his chosen, but the impious will be silent in the darkness – for it is not by his own strength that a man becomes strong. The Lord grinds down his enemies: he will thunder on them from the heavens. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth, give dominion to his king, and raise up the standard of his anointed one. 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

1 Samuel 2

The song of Hannah, mother of Samuel

My heart rejoices in the Lord,
my strength is raised up in the name of my God.
I cry out in triumph over my enemies
as I rejoice in your deliverance.

No-one is like the Lord, for he is holy;
no-one is like our God, for he is strong.

Do not pile boasting upon boasting:
keep proud words far from your mouth,
for the Lord is the God of all knowledge
and the judge of all actions.

The bow of the mighty is broken,
and the weak are clothed in strength.
Those who fed well must hire themselves out, for bread;
but the hungry are hungry no longer.
The barren woman has given birth to many;
but she who had many sons is left desolate.

The Lord brings death and brings life;
he leads down to the underworld and rescues from it.
The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
he lays low and raises up.
He lifts the needy from the dust and the poor from the dunghill
to sit among princes
to sit on the throne of glory.
To the Lord belong the poles of the earth;
from them he has suspended the world.

He will keep safe the feet of his chosen,
but the impious will be silent in the darkness
– for it is not by his own strength that a man becomes strong.
The Lord grinds down his enemies:
he will thunder on them from the heavens.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth,
give dominion to his king,
and raise up the standard of his anointed one.

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

Psalm 96 (97)
The glory of God in his judgements
The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice, let the many islands be glad. Clouds and dark mist surround him, his throne is founded on law and justice. Fire precedes him, burning up his enemies all around. His lightnings light up the globe; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains flow like wax at the sight of the Lord, at the sight of the Lord the earth dissolves. The heavens proclaim his justice and all peoples see his glory. Let them be dismayed, who worship carved things, who take pride in the images they make. All his angels, worship him. Sion heard and was glad, the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of your judgements, O Lord. For you are the Lord, the Most High over all the earth, far above all other gods. You who love the Lord, hate evil! The Lord protects the lives of his consecrated ones: he will free them from the hands of sinners. A light has arisen for the just, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice, you just, in the Lord and proclaim his holiness. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 96 (97)

The glory of God in his judgements

The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice,
let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and dark mist surround him,
his throne is founded on law and justice.
Fire precedes him,
burning up his enemies all around.
His lightnings light up the globe;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains flow like wax at the sight of the Lord,
at the sight of the Lord the earth dissolves.
The heavens proclaim his justice
and all peoples see his glory.

Let them be dismayed, who worship carved things,
who take pride in the images they make.
All his angels, worship him.
Sion heard and was glad,
the daughters of Judah rejoiced
because of your judgements, O Lord.
For you are the Lord, the Most High over all the earth,
far above all other gods.

You who love the Lord, hate evil!
The Lord protects the lives of his consecrated ones:
he will free them from the hands of sinners.
A light has arisen for the just,
and gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice, you just, in the Lord
and proclaim his holiness.

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

Short reading	Romans 8:35 - 37 ©
Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us.

Canticle	Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.
He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David,
as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages:
to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers,
to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,
that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies –
in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,
to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven.
Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us
to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death;
to lead our feet in the path of peace.

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

Prayers and Intercessions

?

Blessed be God our Saviour, who has promised to be with his Church until the end of time. Let us thank him and ask him: - Lord, remain with us.
Remain with us, Lord, throughout today:: let your grace be a sun that never sets.
We consecrate today as an offering to you:: we promise to do nothing evil today, nor even attempt it.
Lord, may your gift of light shine through us today:: make us the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
May the love of your Holy Spirit guide our hearts and our speech,: so that we may be at one with you in righteousness and praise.

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, send your light to shine in our hearts.
May we always follow the path of your commandments
and never stray from it.

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

American Catholic’s Saint of the Day

.

September 5, 2007

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

(1910-1997)

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the tiny woman recognized throughout the world for her work among the poorest of the poor, was beatified October 19, 2003. Among those present were hundreds of Missionaries of Charity, the Order she founded in 1950 as a diocesan religious community. Today the congregation also includes contemplative sisters and brothers and an order of priests.

Speaking in a strained, weary voice at the beatification Mass, Pope John Paul II declared her blessed, prompting waves of applause before the 300,000 pilgrims in St. Peter's Square. In his homily, read by an aide for the aging pope, the Holy Father called Mother Teresa “one of the most relevant personalities of our age” and “an icon of the Good Samaritan.” Her life, he said, was “a bold proclamation of the gospel.”

Mother Teresa's beatification, just over six years after her death, was part of an expedited process put into effect by Pope John Paul II. Like so many others around the world, he found her love for the Eucharist, for prayer and for the poor a model for all to emulate.

Born to Albanian parents in what is now Skopje, Macedonia (then part of the Ottoman Empire), Gonxha (Agnes) Bojaxhiu was the youngest of the three children who survived. For a time, the family lived comfortably, and her father's construction business thrived. But life changed overnight following his unexpected death.

During her years in public school Agnes participated in a Catholic sodality and showed a strong interest in the foreign missions. At age 18 she entered the Loreto Sisters of Dublin. It was 1928 when she said goodbye to her mother for the final time and made her way to a new land and a new life. The following year she was sent to the Loreto novitiate in Darjeeling, India. There she chose the name Teresa and prepared for a life of service. She was assigned to a high school for girls in Calcutta, where she taught history and geography to the daughters of the wealthy. But she could not escape the realities around her—the poverty, the suffering, the overwhelming numbers of destitute people.

In 1946, while riding a train to Darjeeling to make a retreat, Sister Teresa heard what she later explained as “a call within a call. The message was clear. I was to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them.” She also heard a call to give up her life with the Sisters of Loreto and, instead, to “follow Christ into the slums to serve him among the poorest of the poor.”

After receiving permission to leave Loreto, establish a new religious community and undertake her new work, she took a nursing course for several months. She returned to Calcutta, where she lived in the slums and opened a school for poor children. Dressed in a white sari and sandals (the ordinary dress of an Indian woman) she soon began getting to know her neighbors—especially the poor and sick—and getting to know their needs through visits.

The work was exhausting, but she was not alone for long. Volunteers who came to join her in the work, some of them former students, became the core of the Missionaries of Charity. Other helped by donating food, clothing, supplies, the use of buildings. In 1952 the city of Calcutta gave Mother Teresa a former hostel, which became a home for the dying and the destitute. As the Order expanded, services were also offered to orphans, abandoned children, alcoholics, the aging and street people.

For the next four decades Mother Teresa worked tirelessly on behalf of the poor. Her love knew no bounds. Nor did her energy, as she crisscrossed the globe pleading for support and inviting others to see the face of Jesus in the poorest of the poor. In 1979 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. On September 5, 1997, God called her home.

Just found a whole bunch of additional threads!

The Beatification of Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa not to be exhumed

What Made Mother Teresa So Special, Part I

Mother Teresa's Saintly Spirit Remembered, in a Truly Balkan Way

Mother Teresa's Beatification to Be a Worldwide Television Event

WHATEVER YOU DID UNTO ONE OF THE LEAST, YOU DID UNTO ME, M. Teresa, Senate & House Prayer Breakfast

Mother Teresa's Beatification and Related Events

Mother Teresa's "Secret"

Slur on Mother Teresa in paper stuns Church

Why Mother Teresa Should Not Be a Saint

Pope credits Mother Teresa with miracle

Mother Teresa's Mystical Experiences[her letters to Archbishop Perier]

Miracle Approved; Beatification Set for Mother Teresa

[WARNING: I think this is a fabrication] Prophecy attributed to Mother Teresa?

Mother Teresa's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech

Regnum Christi

To Give and Not to Count the Cost
September 5, 2007

Wednesday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
Father Matthew Green, LC

Luke 4: 38-44
After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon. Simon´s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her. He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them. At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them. And demons also came out from many, shouting, "You are the Son of God." But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ. At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, "To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent." And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, open my heart to the message you have for me in this Gospel reading today. Help me grow in the virtues that will make me more like you, so that I can help others to know and love you!

Petition: Blessed Savior, teach me humility and generosity in order to fulfill God’s plan without seeking praise!

1. Jesus’ Generosity Today’s Gospel reading is a direct continuation of yesterday’s, so we know the setting: It is the Sabbath, and our Lord has been preaching in the synagogue where he also has cast out a demon. Coming to the Simon Peter’s house where he was staying, we would expect him to be tired. Indeed he seems to be because after he heals Peter’s mother-in-law, he allows himself to be waited on by her – probably being served a good evening meal. But then, after sunset ends the Sabbath rest, many people come seeking Jesus to be freed from demons or cured. Despite the hour and the fact that he must have been tired, he heals them and casts out the demons one by one. He knows and loves each one of us, and gives us his grace in proportion to our needs.

2. Jesus’ Humility This selfless dedication to preaching and healing brings us back to the virtue of humility that we’ve seen earlier in the week. Jesus is the Son of God, so he had every right to have his identity proclaimed, whether by demons or by men. Nonetheless, he prefers to proclaim himself by works of service. He had every right to have his privacy and his time respected, but he never declined to attend to those who needed him. He could have settled down, basking in appreciation and acclaim, and instead he obeyed God the Father’s plan and never lingered, moving from town to town to preach the Gospel.

3. How Do We Measure Up? Christ was generous and humble, always attending others’ needs before his own. That’s not easy to imitate! How often are we willing to be generous with others after a hard day of work? Do we try to protect our “private time”, or are we focused on the needs of others? And when we do make the extra effort to love others, how easily we can slip into pride for the good works God has worked in us, feel we have “done enough”, and feel hurt if we aren’t praised! But God’s grace can and will transform us if we only ask. We’ve seen it in great souls like John Paul II, and many other saints throughout history. There’s a place for each of us among their ranks, if only we cooperate with God’s grace in our lives!

Conversation with Christ:
Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve:
to give, and not to count the cost,
to fight, and not to heed the wounds,
to toil, and not to seek for rest,
to labor, and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do your will.
- St. Ignatius Loyola

Resolution: Today I will make a special effort to be generous to others and pay attention to them and their needs, especially when it is more difficult for me.

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Other Articles by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
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Finding Joy in Others' Successes

September 4, 2007

Col 1:1-8 / Lk 4:38-44

There are lots of things in God's good world that should give us considerable joy: A sunset, a tranquil pond on a hot summer day, a delicate flower, a new-born infant's tiny hand. And there are lots things of our own making that should bring us joy as well: a new idea, a job well done, a thriving summer garden, a perfect score on a test, a financial coup brilliantly planned.

But beyond nature's joys and the ones we've made for ourselves, there's another, special kind of joy that some of us may not have experienced yet. It's the joy of seeing someone else succeed or get better or triumph in some way or other. St Paul is telling his friends the Colossians about this very thing in today's epistle. In effect he says, "You folks are growing up in the Lord so beautifully that it fills my heart full! For me to see your progress is the best gift anyone could give me!"

That's real maturity of soul, and it's where all of us want to get, because that's where the real joy is, in transcending our own narrow agendas and getting to share and participate in everybody's joys. To do that, however, we have to get rid of that little voice that whispers, "There may not be enough for me AND them, so I'll just have to get mine and forget about them."

There's enough, and when we start seeing the world through God's eyes, we'll know that, we'll relax in the Lord, and we'll experience the triumphs of every one of God's people as if they were our own — just as he does. And what a joy that will be!

From: Colossians 1:1-8

Greeting

[1] Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy
our brother, [2] To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at
Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Thanksgiving for the Colossians’ Response to the Gospel

[3] We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we
pray for you, because we have read of your faith in Christ Jesus and of
the love which you have for all the saints, [5] because of the hope
laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of
the truth, the gospel [6] which has come to you, as indeed in the whole
world it is bearing fruit and growing—so among yourselves, from the
day you heard and understood the grace of God in truth, [7] as you
learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful
minister of Christ on our behalf [8] and has made known to us your love
in the Spirit.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1-2. The city of Colossae, as has already been mentioned in the
Introduction, lay in the valley of the Lycus river, in Phrygia, a
region in the west central part of Anatolia (modern Turkey).

Timothy—whose mother was Jewish and whose father was Greek—was
already a Christian when St Paul met him in Lystra (cf. Acts 16: 1-2).
He readily agreed to go with Paul and Tom that point onwards he was
one of the Apostle’s most faithful co-workers. Sometimes we see him
accompanying Paul (cf. Acts 20:4), and at other times Paul is sending
him off on a special mission (cf. Acts 19:22). When St Paul is writing
to the Colossians from his Roman prison, Timothy is by his side and
joins him in sending greetings.

Later on, the Apostle will entrust Timothy with the overseeing of the
church of Ephesus, and in that capacity he will send him two letters,
which form part of the canon of the New Testament.

On the greeting “grace and peace”, see the note on Eph 1:2.

3-16. Epaphras, who was probably born in Colossae, must have come
to know St Paul during his stay in Ephesus and been convened after
receiving instruction from the Apostle. After being baptized he
preached the Gospel to his fellow-citizens. The combination of grace
and his own effort make his preaching very effective. However, due to
certain false apostles of a Judaizing tendency, errors of a pre-Gnostic
and syncretist type began to gain ground among the Colossians, to the
detriment of their faith (cf. p. 152 above).

St Paul writes the epistle after receiving a report from Epaphras on the
Church in Colossae (v. 9). Although the news Epaphras brought was
on the whole good (vv. 3-5), the Apostle feels that the false doctrines
being spread among the Colossians are a danger to their faith: the
faith that they hold, which they learned from Epaphras, a loyal
minister of Jesus Christ, is the true one.

3-5. St Paul expresses his gratitude to God for all the graces and
benefits he has given the Colossians and for the way they have
responded to them. He picks out the three theological virtues—faith,
charity, and hope and emphasizes the importance of hope as a support
for faith and fraternal love. In this regard, Monsignor Escriva says
in a homily, “I have seen many souls with such hope in God that they
are aflame with love, with a fire that makes the heart beat strong and
keeps it safe from discouragement and dejection, even though along
the way they may suffer and at times suffer greatly” (”Friends of God”,
205).

7. “On our behalf” (cf. RSV note): many important manuscripts read
this as “on your behalf”, but “on our behalf” parallels the “for us” of
the New Vulgate, meaning that Epaphras is a minister of Christ who
faithfully substitutes for Paul in his apostolic work among the
Colossians.

8. “Your love in the Spirit”: this may refer either to the theological
virtue of charity or to the love which the faithful, under the
influence of the Holy Spirit, have for the Apostle.

*********************************************************************************************
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: Luke 4:38-44

The Cure of Peter’s Mother-In-Law

[38] And He (Jesus) arose and left the synagogue, and entered Simon’s house.
Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they besought Him for
her. [39] And He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her; and
immediately she rose and served them.

Other Cures

[40] Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with
various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of
them and healed them. [41] And demons also came out of many, crying, “You
are the Son of God!” But He rebuked them, and would not allow them to speak,
because they knew that He was the Christ.

Jesus Preaches in Other Cities in Judea

[42] And when it was day He departed and went into a lonely place. And the
people sought Him and came to Him, and would have kept Him from leaving
them; [43] but He said to them, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom
of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.” [44] And He was
preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

38-39. In the public life of Jesus we find many touching episodes (cf. for
example Luke 19:1; John 2:1) which show the high regard He had for everyday
family life.

Here we can clearly see the effectiveness of prayer on behalf of other people:
“No sooner did they pray to the Savior”, St. Jerome says, “than He immediately
healed the sick; from this we learn that He also listens to the prayers of the
faithful for help against sinful passions” (”Expositio In Evangelium Sec. Lucam,
in loc.”).

St. John Chrysostom refers to this total, instantaneous cure: “Since this was
a curable type of illness He displayed His power through the way He brought
healing, doing what medicine could not do. Even after being cured of fever,
patients need time to recover their former strength, but here the cure was
instantaneous” (”Hom. on St. Matthew”, 27).

The Fathers saw in this lady’s fever a symbol of concupiscence: “Peter’s
mother-in-law’s fever represents our flesh affected by various illnesses and
concupiscences; our fever is passion, our fever is lust, our fever is anger—
vices which, although they affect the body, perturb the soul, the mind and the
feelings” (St. Ambrose, “Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.”).

On the practical consequences of this St. Cyril says: “Let us receive Jesus
Christ, because when He visits us and we take Him into our minds and hearts,
even our worst passions are extinguished and we are kept safe to serve Him,
that is, to do what pleases Him” (”Hom. 28 In Mattheum”).

43. Our Lord again stresses one of the reasons why He has come into the
world. St. Thomas, when discussing the purpose of the Eucharist, says that
Christ “came into the world, first, to make the truth known, as He Himself says:
`for this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to
the truth’ (John 18:37). Hence it was not fitting that He should hide Himself by
leading a solitary life, but rather that He should appear openly and preach in
public. For this reason He tells those who wanted to detain Him, `I must
preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I
was sent for this purpose.’ Secondly, He came in order to free men from sin;
as the Apostle says, `Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ (1
Timothy 1:15). This is why Chrysostom says, `Although Christ might, while
staying in the same place, have drawn all men to Himself to hear His
preaching, He did not do so—in order to give us the example to go out and
seek the lost sheep, as the shepherd does, or as the doctor does, who visits
the sick person.’ Thirdly, He came so that `we might obtain access to God’
(Romans 5:2)” (”Summa Theologiae”, III, q. 40, a. 1, c.).

*********************************************************************************************
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.

Vultus Christi

Mercy Above Every Misery

Twenty-Second Wednesday of the Year I

Luke 4:38–44

Jesus in the House of Simon

Jesus has just left the synagogue of Capernaum. He was teaching the people on the Sabbath; the word of His mouth struck the ears of all by its indescribable authority. Joining to His word a wonderful action, He delivered a man from the unclean spirit who oppressed him. Today’s Gospel begins with Jesus leaving the synagogue and entering the house of Simon.

Simon's Mother-in-Law

It would have been normal, at this point, for Our Lord to want to take some refreshment and there, away from the crowd, to enjoy a moment of respite after the exertions of His ministry. But upon entering Simon’s house what does He find? Simon’s mother–in–law is ill with a high fever. Those in the house — Simon’s wife and Simon himself, no doubt — “besought Him for her” (Lk 4:38).

To Beseech the Lord

Here Saint Luke shows us the prayer of intercession in action. It is striking in its simplicity: “they besought Him for her” (Lk 4:38). This is the secret of an efficacious prayer of intercession: to beseech the Lord. No other verb conveys quite the same meaning: it means to beg eagerly, to importune another, to supplicate, to beg urgently.

And He Stood Over Her

The Heart of Jesus is touched by this prayer. Saint Luke describes what happened then. “And He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her” (Lk 4:39). There is something divine, something majestic in the demeanour of Our Lord. He stands over the sick woman; He is Lord over all. His mercy is above every misery. Every infirmity is subject to Him; there is no illness, no brokenness, no affliction that can resist His word. He is the Physician of our bodies and of our souls.

Saint Jerome observes the scene and offers this commentary:

May Christ come to our house and enter in and by His command cure the fever of our sins. Each one of us is sick with a fever. Whenever I give way to anger, I have a fever. There are as many fevers as there are faults and vices. Let us beg the apostles to intercede for us with Jesus, that He may come to us and touch our hand. If He does so, at once our fever is gone. He is an excellent physician and truly the chief Physician. Moses is a physician. Isaiah is a physician. All the saints are physicians, but He is the chief Physician. (Homilies on the Gospel of Mark 75)

Two Hands

“He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her; and immediately she rose and served them” (Lk 4:39). There is a thirteenth century mosaic in the cathedral of Palermo in Sicily that depicts this very moment. Simon’s mother–in–law is reclining on her bed, propped up on pillows. Jesus is extending His hand to her and she is extending her hand toward Him. That one detail of the mosaic expresses the whole mystery of the moment. At the very center of the mosaic there are two hands almost touching: His and hers. The Divine Physician stretches out His hand and, moved by grace, the sick woman offers her hand in response. A kind of resurrection takes place.

She Rose

“Immediately she rose and served them” (Lk 4:39). Her service is her thanksgiving. She leaves her bed and goes immediately to her kitchen. In her heart there is a strange joy. Her life and her house will never again be the same.

He Sets His Mercy Over All Our Sins

The chief Physician comes to visit us today. He comes escorted invisibly by His ministering angels and by the saints who, having compassion for our fevers, that is for our sins and vices, beseech Him for us. He stands over us; that is to say, He sets His mercy over all our sins. And in this Holy Mass, He offers us not only His hand, but the healing mysteries of His Body and Blood. May it be given us to rise and serve Him today.

Posted by Father Mark on September 5, 2007 2:10 AM | Permalink

Lk 4:38-44
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
38	And Jesus rising up out of the synagogue, went into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever: and they besought him for her.	surgens autem de synagoga introivit in domum Simonis socrus autem Simonis tenebatur magnis febribus et rogaverunt illum pro ea
39	And standing over her, he commanded the fever: and it left her. And immediately rising, she ministered to them.	et stans super illam imperavit febri et dimisit illam et continuo surgens ministrabat illis
40	And when the sun was down, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them to him. But he, laying his hands on every one of them, healed them.	cum sol autem occidisset omnes qui habebant infirmos variis languoribus ducebant illos ad eum at ille singulis manus inponens curabat eos
41	And devils went out from many, crying out and saying: Thou art the son of God. And rebuking them he suffered them not to speak; for they knew that he was Christ.	exiebant autem etiam daemonia a multis clamantia et dicentia quia tu es Filius Dei et increpans non sinebat ea loqui quia sciebant ipsum esse Christum
42	And when it was day, going out he went into a desert place: and the multitudes sought him, and came unto him. And they stayed him that should not depart from them.	facta autem die egressus ibat in desertum locum et turbae requirebant eum et venerunt usque ad ipsum et detinebant illum ne discederet ab eis
43	To whom he said: To other cities also I must preach the kingdom of God: for therefore am I sent.	quibus ille ait quia et aliis civitatibus oportet me evangelizare regnum Dei quia ideo missus sum
44	And he was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.	et erat praedicans in synagogis Galilaeae

Christ Preaching in the Temple

Christian W.E. Dietrich

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 61 (62)
Peace in God
My soul, find peace in God alone: from him comes my salvation. It is he who is my refuge and my safeguard, my stronghold: I shall never be shaken. How long will you assail a man and band together to crush him, like a toppling wall or a falling fence? They plan to thrust him down from his high place. They delight in lies: with their lips they bless, but a curse is in their hearts. My soul, find peace in God alone, for he gives me strength to endure. It is he who is my God and my safeguard, my stronghold: I shall never be shaken. In God is my salvation and my glory, God is my strength – my refuge is with God. Trust in him, all you people together, pour out your hearts before him; God is our refuge. The children of Adam are as nothing; the children of men are a deceit. Weigh them in the scales, and they rise: they are lighter than a puff of smoke. Put no trust in violence, do not be seduced into robbery; and if riches come, do not count upon them. God has spoken once and for all. Two things have I heard him say: that strength belongs to God, and that mercy, Lord, belongs to you. For to each of us you give whatever our actions have deserved. 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 61 (62)

Peace in God

My soul, find peace in God alone:
from him comes my salvation.
It is he who is my refuge and my safeguard,
my stronghold: I shall never be shaken.

How long will you assail a man
and band together to crush him,
like a toppling wall or a falling fence?
They plan to thrust him down from his high place.
They delight in lies:
with their lips they bless, but a curse is in their hearts.

My soul, find peace in God alone,
for he gives me strength to endure.
It is he who is my God and my safeguard,
my stronghold: I shall never be shaken.

In God is my salvation and my glory,
God is my strength – my refuge is with God.
Trust in him, all you people together,
pour out your hearts before him;
God is our refuge.
The children of Adam are as nothing;
the children of men are a deceit.
Weigh them in the scales, and they rise:
they are lighter than a puff of smoke.

Put no trust in violence,
do not be seduced into robbery;
and if riches come, do not count upon them.
God has spoken once and for all.
Two things have I heard him say:
that strength belongs to God,
and that mercy, Lord, belongs to you.
For to each of us you give
whatever our actions have deserved.

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 66 (67)
All peoples, praise the Lord
O God, take pity on us and bless us, and let your face shine upon us, so that your ways may be known across the world, and all nations learn of your salvation. Let the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise you. Let the nations be glad and rejoice, for you judge the peoples with fairness and you guide the nations of the earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise you. The earth has produced its harvest: may God, our God, bless us. May God bless us, may the whole world revere him. 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 66 (67)

All peoples, praise the Lord

O God, take pity on us and bless us, and let your face shine upon us,
so that your ways may be known across the world, and all nations learn of your salvation.

Let the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise you.
Let the nations be glad and rejoice, for you judge the peoples with fairness and you guide the nations of the earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise you.
The earth has produced its harvest: may God, our God, bless us.
May God bless us, may the whole world revere him.

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	(Colossians 1)
Christ, firstborn of all creatures and firstborn from the dead
Let us give thanks to God the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the light that is the saints’ inheritance. He has rescued us from the power of the shadows and brought us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation, for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, thrones and dominations, principalities and powers. All things were created through him and for him: he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the Church. He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, and so he is pre-eminent above all. For it was the Father’s will that the fullness of God should dwell in him, and that through him all things should be reconciled to himself. Through the blood of the Cross he brought peace to all things, both on Earth and in the heavens. 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

(Colossians 1)

Christ, firstborn of all creatures and firstborn from the dead

Let us give thanks to God the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the light that is the saints’ inheritance.
He has rescued us from the power of the shadows and brought us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation,
for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
thrones and dominations, principalities and powers.

All things were created through him and for him: he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the Church. He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, and so he is pre-eminent above all.
For it was the Father’s will that the fullness of God should dwell in him, and that through him all things should be reconciled to himself.
Through the blood of the Cross he brought peace to all things, both on Earth and in the heavens.

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

Short reading	1 Peter 5:5 - 7 ©
Wrap yourselves in humility to be servants of each other, because God refuses the proud and will always favour the humble. Bow down, then, before the power of God now, and he will raise you up on the appointed day; unload all your worries on to him, since he is looking after you.

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

Canticle

Magnificat

My soul rejoices in the Lord

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.
For he has shown me such favour –
me, his lowly handmaiden.
Now all generations will call me blessed,
because the mighty one has done great things for me.
His name is holy,
his mercy lasts for generation after generation
for those who revere him.

He has put forth his strength:
he has scattered the proud and conceited,
torn princes from their thrones;
but lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

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

Prayers and Intercessions

?

Dear brethren, let us rejoice in God, whose joy it is to pour out good things on his people. Let us fervently pray: - Lord, give us your grace and your peace.
Eternal God, to you a thousand years are like yesterday, which is gone:: remind us that life is a flower that springs up in the morning and by evening is nothing but hay.
Give manna to your people, so that they do not hunger;: give them living water, so that they never thirst.
Make those who believe in you seek the things that are above:: may their work and their leisure equally give you praise.
Give us favourable weather, Lord,: that the earth may yield us abundant crops.
Grant the deceased the sight of your face,: and make us blessed by contemplating you.

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, your name is holy and your mercy is proclaimed from generation to generation.
Accept the prayers of your people
and let them sing of your greatness for ever.

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

The World Among Us

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Meditation
Colossians 1:1-8

What faith, confidence, and even joy Paul exudes as he begins his letter to the believers in Colossae! He tells them that he knows that God will continue to work in their lives, even if he must later give them some strong corrections, both as individuals and as a church. Paul knows that this church has its troubles, but he has more confidence in the Holy Spirit’s power to heal and transform than in the power of sin to wound and distort. In the end, Paul knows that God will work through their weaknesses and confusion to bring them closer to Christ and to make them more fruitful for the gospel.

We can take a cue from Paul’s optimistic opening to this letter. It can be so easy to dwell on our weaknesses and shortcomings and think that we will never do much for the Lord. But God wants us to be confident, even in the face of our failings, that he will work through us in ways that we could never guess. If God can use people like Peter (an impetuous tradesman) and Paul (a proud intellectual), he certainly can use you!

It can also be easy to look at the weaknesses or faults of other people and conclude that they simply will never amount to much in the kingdom of God. How surprising it can be, then, to see God using them—sometimes in very dramatic ways! Remember how he used a poor, sickly girl like Bernadette Soubirous during nineteenth-century France. Remember, too, how he used a classic party-boy, Francis Bernardone, in twelfth-century Assisi. Elsewhere, Paul writes how God chooses the weak, lowly, and despised things of the world to shame the strong and wise (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). It seems to be his standard way of operating!

Let us never think that our weaknesses or those of others pose insurmountable obstacles to God. Instead, let’s be confident, like Paul, that every human weakness can be overcome by God’s goodness and grace. Let’s be filled with joy and wonder at our loving Father who always wants the best for us!

“Lord, please give me a bigger vision of you and your power to overcome every weakness and obstacle in my life. I want to help spread your kingdom in this world!”

Psalm 52:10-11; Luke 4:38-44