Posted on 09/13/2007 9:46:16 AM PDT by Salvation
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Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom,
bishop and doctor of the Church
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Reading 1
Col 3:12-17
Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one Body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (6) Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the LORD in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp,
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD! Alleluia.
R. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Gospel
Lk 6:27-38
Jesus said to his disciples:
“To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”
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The Translation of the Relics of St. John Chrysostom (Jan 27 or Feb 9 Julian calendar)
The Easter Sermon of St. John Chrysostom (c. 400 AD)
The Easter Sermon of St. John Chrysostom (c. 400 AD)
The Life of Saint John Chrysostom
PASCHAL Homily of St John Chrysostom
The Golden Mouthed Preacher-St.John Chrysostom [Bishop,Doctor of Catholic and Orthodox Churches]
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. Due to her feast day on September 15, the month of September has traditionally been set aside to honor Our Lady of Sorrows. All the sorrows of Mary (the prophecy of Simeon, the three days' loss, etc.) are merged in the supreme suffering at the Passion. In the Passion, Mary suffered a martyrdom of the heart because of Our Lord's torments and the greatness of her love for Him. "She it was," says Pope Pius XII, "who immune from all sin, personal or inherited, and ever more closely united with her Son, offered Him on Golgotha to the Eternal Father together with the holocaust of her maternal rights and motherly love. As a new Eve, she made this offering for all the children of Adam contaminated through his unhappy fall. Thus she, who was the mother of our Head according to the flesh, became by a new title of sorrow and glory the spiritual mother of all His members."
INVOCATIONS
Mary most sorrowful, Mother of Christians, pray for us.
Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us.
TO THE QUEEN OF MARTYRS
Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that every thought of my mind, and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy divine Son Jesus, keep me in His grace, and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in heaven and sing thy glories. Amen.
TO THE MOTHER OF SORROWS
Most holy Virgin. and Mother, whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the Passion of thy divine Son, and who in His glorious Resurrection wast filled with never-ending joy at His triumph; obtain for us who call upon thee, so to be partakers in the adversities of Holy Church and the sorrows of the Sovereign Pontiff, as to be found worthy to rejoice with them in the consolations for which we pray, in the charity and peace of the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
IN HONOR OF THE SORROWS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
O most holy and afflicted Virgin! Queen of Martyrs! thou who didst stand motionless beneath the Cross, witnessing the agony of thy expiring Son--through the unceasing sufferings of thy life of sorrow, and the bliss which now more than amply repays thee for thy past trials, look down with a mother's tenderness and pity on me, who kneel before thee to venerate thy dolors, and place my requests, with filial confidence, in the sanctuary of thy wounded heart; present them, I beseech thee, on my behalf, to Jesus Christ, through the merits of His own most sacred death and passion, together with thy sufferings at the foot of the cross, and through the united efficacy of both obtain the grant of my present petition. To whom shall I resort in my wants and miseries if not to thee, O Mother of Mercy, who, having so deeply drunk of the chalice of thy Son, canst compassionate the woes of those who still sigh in the land of exile? Offer for me to my Savior one drop of the Blood which flowed from His sacred veins, one of the tears which trickled from His divine eyes, one of the sighs which rent His adorable Heart. O refuge of the universe and hope of the whole world, do not reject my humble prayer, but graciously obtain the grant of my petition.
TO OUR LADY OF SORROWS
O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and the death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion, and awaken in my heart a tender commiseration for those sufferings, as well as a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that, being disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem, and that henceforward all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object. Honor, glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and immaculate Mother of God. Amen. --Saint Bonaventure
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
| Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God, the Father of heaven, God the Son, Redeemer of the world, . God the Holy Ghost, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, Mother of the Crucified, Sorrowful Mother, Mournful Mother, Sighing Mother, Afflicted Mother, Foresaken Mother, . Desolate Mother, Mother most sad, Mother set around with anguish, Mother overwhelmed by grief, Mother transfixed by a sword, Mother crucified in thy heart, Mother bereaved of thy Son, Sighing Dove, Mother of Dolors, Fount of tears, Sea of bitterness, Field of tribulation, Mass of suffering, Mirror of patience, Rock of constancy, Remedy in perplexity, Joy of the afflicted, Ark of the desolate, Refuge of the abandoned,. Shiled of the oppressed, Conqueror of the incredulous, Solace of the wretched, Medicine of the sick, Help of the faint, Strength of the weak, Protectress of those who fight, Haven of the shipwrecked, Calmer of tempests, Companion of the sorrowful, Retreat of those who groan, Terror of the treacherous, Standard-bearer of the Martyrs, Treasure of the Faithful, Light of Confessors, Pearl of Virgins, . Comfort of Widows, . Joy of all Saints, Queen of thy Servants, Holy Mary, who alone art unexampled, Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin, |
Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, graciously hear us. |
| Let us pray, --- O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of grief pierced through the most sweet soul of Thy glorious Blessed Virgin Mother Mary: grant that we, who celebrate the memory of her Seven Sorrows, may obtain the happy effect of Thy Passion, Who lives and reigns world without end, Amen. |
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| The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady 1. The Prophecy of Simeon 2. The Flight into Egypt . 3. The Loss of Jesus in the Temple 4. Mary meets Jesus Carrying the Cross 5. The Crucifixion 6. Mary Receives the Dead Body of Her Son 7. The Burial of Her Son and Closing of the Tomb. |
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| Consecration to Our Lady of Sorrows Most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, Mary, would that I could be in Heaven, there to contemplate the honors rendered to thee by the Most Holy Trinity and by the whole Heavenly Court! But since I am still a pilgrim in this vale of tears, receive from me, thy unworthy servant and a poor sinner, the most sincere homage and the most perfect act of vassalage a human creature can offer thee. In thy Immaculate Heart, pierced with so many swords of sorrow, I place today my poor soul forever; receive me as a partaker in thy dolors, and never suffer that I should depart from that Cross on which thy only begotten Son expired for me. With thee, O Mary, I will endure all the sufferings, contradictions, infirmities, with which it will please thy Divine Son to visit me in this life. All of them I offer to thee, in memory of the Dolors which thou didst suffer during thy life, that every thought of my mind, every beating of my heart may henceforward be an act of compassion to thy Sorrows, and of complacency for the glory thou now enjoyest in Heaven. Since then, O Dear Mother, I now compassionate thy Dolors, and rejoice in seeing thee glorified, do thou also have compassion on me, and reconcile me to thy Son Jesus, that I may become thy true and loyal son (daughter); come on my last day and assist me in my last agony, even as thou wert present at the Agony of thy Divine Son Jesus, that from this painful exile I may go to Heaven, there to be made partaker of thy glory. Amen. |
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Homilies on Our Lady of Sorrows
Starkenburg:Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Sorrows Shrine
ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, OF THE DOLOURS OF MARY, The Glories [Sorrows] of Mary
From: Colossians 3:12-17
Progress in the Spiritual Life
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Commentary:
12-13. Putting on the new nature is not just an external action, like
putting on different clothes. It is a transfiguration involving the whole
person—soul and body, mind and will. This interior change begins
to operate when one makes a firm resolution to lead a fully Christian
life; but it calls for an on-going effort, day in day out, to practice
all the virtues. “Conversion is something momentary; sanctification is
the work of a lifetime. The divine seed of charity, which God has sown
in our souls, wants to grow, to express itself in action, to yield results
which continually coincide with what God wants. Therefore, we must
be ready to begin again, to find again—in new situations—the light and
the stimulus of our first conversion” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing
By”, 58).
The virtues which the Apostle lists here as characteristic of the new
man are all expressions, in one way or another, of charity, which
“binds everything together in total harmony” (v. 14). Meekness,
patience, forgiveness and gratefulness all reflect an essential virtue
—humility. Only a humble person can be forgiving and truly
appreciative, because only he realizes that everything he has comes
from God. This realization leads him to be understanding towards his
neighbor, forgiving him as often as needs be; by acting in this way he
is proving the genuineness of his faith and love.
See the note on Eph 4:20-24.
14. The comparison of the new nature to a new outfit is extended here
by a further metaphor: charity is the belt which keeps everything
together. Without it the other virtues would fall apart: supernatural
virtue could not survive (cf. 1 Cor 13:1-3). St Francis de Sales uses
simple examples to explain this truth: “Without cement and mortar,
which knits the bricks together and strengthens the walls, the entire
building is bound to collapse; a human body would simply disintegrate
unless it had nerves, muscles and tendons; and if charity were absent,
virtues simply could not stay together” (St Francis de Sales, “Treatise
on the Love of God”, 11, 9).
“Love, as the bond of perfection and fullness of the law (cf. Col 3:14;
Rom 13:10), governs, imbues, and perfects all the means of
sanctification” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 42). Therefore, “if we
want to achieve holiness—in spite of personal shortcomings and
miseries which will last as long as we live—we must make an effort,
with God’s grace, to practice charity, which is the fullness of the law
and the bond of perfection. Charity is not something abstract, it
entails a real, complete, self-giving to the service of God and all men
—to the service of that God who speaks to us in the silence of prayer
and in the hubbub of the world and of those people whose existence is
interwoven with our own. By living charity—Love—we live all the human
and supernatural virtues required of a Christian” ([St] J. Escriva,
“Conversations”, 62).
15. The “peace of Christ” is that which flows from the new order of
grace which he has established; grace gives man direct access to
God and therefore to that peace he so much yearns for. “Thou has
made us for thyself and our hearts are restless till they rest in thee” (St
Augustine, “Confessions”, 1, 1). This is not a peace the world can give
(cf. Jn 14:27), because it is not a function of purely material progress
or well-being, nor does it derive from the sort of peace that should
obtain among nations. “Peace on earth, which men of every era have
most eagerly yearned for, can be firmly established only if the order
laid down by God is dutifully observed” (John XXIII, “Pacem In Terris”,
1).
The peace of Christ, then, is “a peace that comes from knowing that
our Father God loves us, and that we are made one with Christ. It
results from being under the protection of the Virgin, our Lady, and
assisted by St Joseph. This is the great light that illuminates our lives.
In the midst of difficulties and of our personal failings, it encourages
us to keep up our effort” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 22).
16. “The word of Christ”: the whole corpus of our Lord’s teachings,
of which the Apostles are accredited witnesses. This should be ever-
present to the Christian’s soul and “dwell...richly” in him, imbuing
everything he does: the word of Christ is the best nourishment of one’s
life of prayer and an inexhaustible source of practical teaching; and it
is to be found in the first instance in the books of the New Testament.
St John Chrysostom says that these writings “are teachers which
never cease to instruct us [...]. Open these books. What a treasury
of good remedies they contain! [...]. All you need do is look at the
book, read it and remember well the wise teachings therein. The
source of all our evils is our ignorance of the sacred books” (”Hom.
on Col, ad loc.”).
St Paul also reminds us that our appreciation should lead us to glorify
the Lord with songs of joy and gratitude. We can use ready-made hymns
for this purpose, and also the Psalms, which the Church has always used
in its liturgy to praise God and to nourish the spiritual life. “Just as the
mouth savors good food, so does the heart savor the Psalms” (St Bernard,
“Sermons on the Song of Songs”, 7, 5).
See the note on Eph 5:19.
17. All genuinely human things can and should be sanctified (cf. 1 Cor
10:31), by being done perfectly and for love of God.
The Second Vatican Council has recalled this teaching: “Lay people
[...], while meeting their human obligations in the ordinary conditions
of life, should not separate their union with Christ from their ordinary
life; through the very performance of their tasks, which are God’s will
for them, they actually promote the growth of their union with him. This
is the path along which lay people must advance, fervently, joyfully”
(”Apostolicam Actuositatem”, 4).
This teaching was very much part of the message and life of the founder
of Opus Dei: “I assure you, my children, that when a Christian carries
out with love the most insignificant everyday action, that action
overflows with the transcendence of God. That is why I have told you
repeatedly, and hammered away once and again on the idea, that the
Christian vocation consists in making heroic verse out of the prose of
each day. Heaven and earth seem to merge, my children, on the horizon.
But where they really meet is in your hearts, when you sanctify your
everyday lives” (”Conversations”, 116).
The Second Vatican Council also sees in this passage of Colossians a
basis for ecumenical dialogue with non-Catholics: “And if in moral matters
there are many Christians who do not always understand the Gospel in
the same way as Catholics, and do not admit the same solutions for the
more difficult problems of modern society, they nevertheless want to cling
to Christ’s word as the source of Christian virtue and to obey the command
of the Apostle: [Col 3:17 follows]” (”Unitatis Redintegratio”, 23).
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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: Luke 6:27-38
Love of Enemies
[32] “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For
even sinners love those who love them. [33] And if you do good to
those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners
do the same. [34] And if you lend to those from whom you hope to
receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to
receive as much again. [35] But love your enemies, and do good, and
lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and
you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and
the selfish. [36] Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
[37] “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will
not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; [38] give, and it
will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together,
running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will
be the measure you get back.”
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Commentary:
27. “In loving our enemies there shines forth in us some likeness to
God our Father, who, by the death of His Son, ransomed from everlasting
perdition and reconciled to Himself the human race, which previously
was most unfriendly and hostile to Him” (”St. Pius V Catechism”, IV,
14, 19). Following the example of God our Father, we must desire for
everyone (even those who say they are our enemies) eternal life, in the
first place; additionally, a Christian has a duty to respect and
understand everyone without exception, because of his or her intrinsic
dignity as a human person, made in the image and likeness of the
Creator.
28. Jesus Christ teaches us by example that this is a real precept and
not just a pious recommendation; even when nailed to the cross He
prayed to His Father for those who had brought Him to such a pass:
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34). In
imitation of the Master, St Stephen, the first martyr of the Church,
when he was being stoned, prayed to our Lord not to hold the sin
against his persecutors (cf. Acts 7:60). In the liturgy of Good Friday
the Church offers prayers and suffrages to God on behalf of those
outside the Church, asking Him to give them the grace of faith; to
release from their ignorance those who do not know Him; to give Jews
the light to the truth; to bring non-Catholic Christians, linked by
true charity, into full communion with our Mother the Church.
29. Our Lord gives us more examples to show us how we should act if
we want to imitate the mercy of God. The first has to do with one of what
are traditionally called the “spiritual works of mercy”—forgiving injuries
and being patient with other people’s defects. This is what He means
in the first instance about turning the other cheek.
To understand what our Lord is saying here, St. Thomas comments that
“Sacred Scripture needs to be understood in the light of the example of
Christ and the saints. Christ did not offer the cheek to be struck in
the house of Annas (Jn 18:22ff), nor did St. Paul when, as we are told
in the Acts of the Apostles, he was beaten in Philippi (Acts 16:22f).
Therefore, we should not take it that Christ literally meant that you
should offer the other cheek to some to hit you; what He was referring
to was your interior disposition; that is, if necessary we should be
ready not to be intolerant of anyone who hurts us, and we should be
ready to put up with this kind of treatment, or worse than that. That
was how the Lord acted when He surrendered His body to death”
(”Commentary on St John”, 18, 37).
36. The model of mercy which Christ sets before us is God Himself, of
whom St. Paul says, ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us
in all our afflictions” (2 Cor 1:3-4). “The first quality of this virtue”, Fray
Luis de Granada explains, “is that it makes men like God and like
the most glorious thing in Him, His mercy (Lk 6:36). For certainly
the greatest perfection a creature can have is to be like his Creator,
and the more like Him he is, the more perfect he is. Certainly one
of the things which is most appropriate to God is mercy, which is
what the Church means when it says that prayer: ‘Lord God, to
whom it is proper to be merciful and forgiving...’. It says that this
is proper to God, because just as a creature, as creature, is
characteristically poor and needy (and therefore characteristically
receives and does not give), so, on the contrary, since God is
infinitely rich and powerful, to Him alone does it belong to give and
not to receive, and therefore it is appropriate for Him to be merciful
and forgiving” (”Book of Prayer and Meditation”, third part, third
treatise).
This is the rule a Christian should apply: be compassionate towards
other people’s afflictions as if they were one’s own, and try to remedy
them. The Church spells out this rule by giving us a series of
corporal works of mercy (visiting and caring for the sick, giving food
to the hungry, drink to the thirsty...) and spiritual works of mercy
(teaching the ignorant, correcting the person who has erred, forgiving
injuries...): cf. “St Pius X Catechism”, 944f.
We should also show understanding towards people who are in error:
“Love and courtesy of this kind should not, of course, make us
indifferent to truth and goodness. Love, in fact, impels the followers
of Christ to proclaim to all men the truth which saves. But we must
distinguish between the error (which must always be rejected) and the
person in error, who never loses his dignity as a person even though he
flounders amid false or inadequate religious ideas. God alone is the
judge and searcher of hearts; He forbids us to pass judgment on the
inner guilt of others” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 28).
38. We read in Sacred Scripture of the generosity of the widow of
Zarephath, whom God asked to give food to Elijah the prophet even
though she had very little left; He then rewarded her generosity by
constantly renewing her supply of meal and oil (1 kings 17:9ff). The
same sort of thing happened when the boy supplied the five loaves
and two fish which our Lord multiplied to feed a huge crowd of people
(cf. Jn 6:9)—a vivid example of what God does when we give Him
whatever we have, even if it does not amount to much.
God does not let Himself be outdone in generosity: “Go, generously
and like a child ask Him, ‘What can You mean to give me when You
ask me for “this”?’” ([St] J. Escriva, “The Way”, 153). However much
we give God in this life, He will give us more in life eternal.
*********************************************************************************************
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 | Colossians 3:12 - 17 © |
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| You are God’s chosen race, his saints; he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful. Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God; and never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. |
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| Psalm or canticle | Psalm 150 |
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| Praise the Lord | |
| Praise the Lord in his sanctuary, praise him in his mighty firmament. Praise him for his mighty deeds, praise him for all his greatness. Praise him with trumpet-blasts, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dance, praise him with strings and pipes, praise him with cymbals resounding, praise him with cymbals of jubilation. All that breathes, praise the Lord! |
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| Gospel | Luke 6:27 - 38 © |
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| Jesus said: ‘But I say this to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. To the man who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek too; to the man who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from the man who robs you. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks can you expect? For even sinners do that much. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. Instead, love your enemies and do good, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. ‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’ |
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O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 88 (89) |
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| A lament at the ruin of the house of David |
| But you have spurned and rejected him; you are enraged against your anointed. You have repudiated the covenant of your servant, you have trampled his crown in the dust. You have demolished his walls and laid his fortifications in ruins. Anyone who passes can despoil him; he is a mockery among his neighbours. You have strengthened the arm of those who oppress him, you have gladdened the hearts of his enemies. You have turned back the sharp edge of his sword; you have deprived him of your help in battle. You have put an end to his splendour, and cast his throne to the ground. You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him from head to foot in shame. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Psalm 88 (89) |
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| How long, O Lord, will you hide yourself? For ever? Will your anger always burn like fire? Remember how short is my time. Was it truly so pointless, your creation of man? Who is the man who can live and not die, who can save his life from the grasp of the underworld? Where are the kindnesses you showed us of old? Where is the truth of your oath to David? Remember, Lord, how your servants are taunted, the taunts I bear in my bosom, the taunts of the nations – the insults of your enemies, Lord, the insults that follow the steps of your anointed! 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 89 (90) |
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| Let the Lord's glory shine upon us |
| Lord, you have been our refuge from generation to generation. Before the mountains were born, before earth and heaven were conceived, from all time to all time, you are God. You turn men into dust, you say to them “go back, children of men”. A thousand years in your sight are like yesterday, that has passed; like a short watch in the night. When you take them away, they will be nothing but a dream; like the grass that sprouts in the morning: in the morning it grows and flowers, in the evening it withers and dries. For we are made weak by your anger, thrown into confusion by your wrath. You have gazed upon our transgressions; the light of your face illuminates our secrets. All our days vanish in your anger, we use up our years in a single breath. Seventy years are what we have, or eighty for the stronger ones; and most of that is labour and sadness – quickly they pass, and we are gone. Who can comprehend the power of your wrath? Who can behold the violence of your anger? Teach us to reckon our days like this, so that our hearts may be led at last to wisdom. Turn to us, Lord, how long must we wait? Let your servants call on you and be answered. Fill us with your kindness in the morning, and we shall rejoice and be glad all the days of our life. Give us joy for as long as you afflicted us, for all the years when we suffered. Let your servants see your great works, and let their children see your glory. Let the glory of the Lord God be upon us: make firm the work of your hands. Make firm the work of your hands. 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 | Lamentations 1:1 - 20 © |
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| Aleph Oh, how lonely she sits, the city once thronged with people, as if suddenly widowed. Though once great among the nations, she, the princess among provinces, is now reduced to vassalage. Beth She passes her nights weeping; the tears run down her cheeks. Not one of all her lovers remains to comfort her. Her friends have all betrayed her and become her enemies. Ghimel Judah is exiled after her downfall and harsh enslavement. She dwells among the nations now, but finds no relief there. Her pursuers all overtake her in places where there is no way out. Daleth The roads to Zion are in mourning; no one comes to her festivals now. Her gateways are all deserted; her priests groan; her virgins are grief-stricken; she suffers bitterly. He Her oppressors now have the upper hand, her enemies enjoy prosperity; The Lord himself has made her suffer for her many, many sins; her little children have left her as prisoners driven in front of the oppressor. Waw From the daughter of Zion all her glory has departed. Her leaders were like rams that find no pasture. Listlessly they took the road, driven by the drover. Zain Jerusalem remembers her days of misery and distress, when her people fell before the enemy and no one came to help her. Her oppressors looked at her and laughed at her downfall. Heth Jerusalem has sinned grievously and she has become a thing unclean. All those who used to honour her despise her”; they have seen her nakedness. While she herself groans and turns her face away. Teth Her filth clings to the hem of her clothes. She had never thought of ending like this, sinking as low as this. She has no one to comfort her. ‘O Lord, look on my degradation; my enemy is triumphant.’ Yod The oppressor has laid his hands on all she treasured; she has seen the pagans enter her sanctuary, men whom you had forbidden to attend your Assembly. Kaph All her people groan as they search for bread; they barter their valuables for food, to keep life in them. ‘Look, O Lord, and mark how despised I am.’ Lamed All you who pass this way, look and see: is any sorrow like the sorrow that afflicts me, with which the Lord has struck me on the day of his burning anger? Sade The Lord is acting rightly, for I had rebelled against his order. Listen therefore, all you nations, and see my sorrow. My virgins and my young men have gone into exile. Qoph I called for help to my lovers; they failed me. My priests and my elders were perishing inside the city, as they searched for food to keep life in them. Resh Look, O Lord. How great my anguish! My entrails shudder; my heart turns over inside me. Alas! I have always been a rebel – and now, outside, the sword has robbed me of my children, and inside, there is death. |
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| Reading | A sermon by St John Chrysostom |
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| For me, life means Christ, and death is gain | |
| The waters have risen and severe storms are upon us, but we do not fear drowning, for we stand firmly upon a rock. Let the sea rage, it cannot break the rock. Let the waves rise, they cannot sink the boat of Jesus. What are we to fear? Death? Life to me means Christ, and death is gain. Exile? ‘The earth and its fullness belong to the Lord. The confiscation of goods? We brought nothing into this world, and we shall surely take nothing from it. I have only contempt for the world’s threats, I find its blessings laughable. I have no fear of poverty, no desire for wealth. I am not afraid of death nor do I long to live, except for your good. I concentrate therefore on the present situation, and I urge you, my friends, to have confidence. Do you not hear the Lord saying: Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst? Will he be absent, then, when so many people united in love are gathered together? I have his promise; I am surely not going to rely on my own strength! I have what he has written; that is my staff, my security, my peaceful harbour. Let the world be in upheaval. I hold to his promise and read his message; that is my protecting wall and garrison. What message? Know that I am with you always, until the end of the world! If Christ is with me, whom shall I fear? Though the waves and the sea and the anger of princes are roused against me, they are less to me than a spider’s web. Indeed, unless you, my brothers, had detained me, I would have left this very day. For I always say “Lord, your will be done”; not what this fellow or that would have me do, but what you want me to do. That is my strong tower, my immovable rock, my staff that never gives way. If God wants something, let it be done! If he wants me to stay here, I am grateful. But wherever he wants me to be, I am no less grateful. Yet where I am, there you are too, and where you are, I am. For we are a single body, and the body cannot be separated from the head nor the head from the body. Distance separates us, but love unites us, and death itself cannot divide us. For though my body die, my soul will live and be mindful of my people. You are my fellow citizens, my fathers, my brothers, my sons, my limbs, my body. You are my light, sweeter to me than the visible light. For what can the rays of the sun bestow on me that is comparable to your love? The sun’s light is useful in my earthly life, but your love is fashioning a crown for me in the life to come. |
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| Concluding Prayer |
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| O God, you have redeemed us and adopted us. Grant to your beloved children that their belief in Christ may bring them true liberty and an eternal inheritance. 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. |
Saint John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor
September 13th
San Giovanni Crisostomo and Saints
c. 1509
Oil on canvas, 200 x 156 cm
S. Giovanni Crisostomo, Venice
It is simply impossible to lead, without the aid of prayer, a virtuous life. -Saint John Chrysostom
St. John Chrysostom born at Antioch, c. 347 and died at Commana in Pontus, September 14, 407.
John -- whose surname "Chrysostom" occurs for the first time in the "Constitution" of Pope Vigilius in the year 553 -- is generally considered the most prominent doctor of the Greek Church and the greatest preacher ever heard in a Christian pulpit. His natural gifts, as well as exterior circumstances, helped him to become what he was.
At age 20 St. John Chrysostom met Bishop Meletius who inspired him to devote himself to an ascetic and religious life. He studied Holy Scriptures and frequented the sermons of Meletius. About three years later he received Holy Baptism and was ordained lector. But the young cleric, seized by the desire of a more perfect life, soon afterwards entered one of the ascetic societies near Antioch, which was under the spiritual direction of Carterius and especially of the famous Diodorus, later Bishop of Tarsus. Prayer, manual labour and the study of Holy Scripture were his chief occupations, and we may safely suppose that his first literary works date from this time, for nearly all his earlier writings deal with ascetic and monastic subjects. Four years later, Chrysostom resolved to live as an anchorite in one of the caves near Antioch. He remained there two years, but then as his health was quite ruined by indiscreet watchings and fastings in frost and cold, he prudently returned to Antioch to regain his health, and resumed his office as lector in the church.
Probably in the beginning of 381 Meletius made him deacon, just before his own departure to Constantinople, where he died as president of the Second Ecumenical Council. The successor of Meletius was Flavian. Ties of sympathy and friendship connected Chrysostom with his new bishop. As deacon he had to assist at the liturgical functions, to look after the sick and poor, and was probably charged also in some degree with teaching catechumens. At the same time he continued his literary work, and we may suppose that he composed his most famous book, "On the Priesthood", towards the end of this period, or at latest in the beginning of his priesthood.
In the year 386 Chrysostom was ordained priest by Flavian, and from that dates his real importance in ecclesiastical history. His chief task during the next twelve years was that of preaching, which he had to exercise either instead of or with Bishop Flavian. But no doubt the larger part of the popular religious instruction and education devolved upon him. The earliest notable occasion which showed his power of speaking and his great authority was the Lent of 387, when he delivered his sermons "On the Statues". The people of Antioch, excited by the levy of new taxes, had thrown down the statues of Emperor Theodosius. In the panic and fear of punishment which followed, Chrysostom delivered a series of twenty or twenty-one (the nineteenth is probably not authentic) sermons, full of vigour, consolatory, exhortative, tranquilizing, until Flavian, the bishop, brought back from Constantinople the emperor's pardon. But the usual preaching of Chrysostom consisted in consecutive explanations of Holy Scripture.(Principal source - Catholic Encyclopedia - 1913 edition )
Collect:
Father,
the strength of all who trust in you,
you made John Chrysostom
renowned for his eloquence
and heroic in his sufferings.
May we learn from his teaching
and gain courage from his patient endurance.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.
| Thursday, September 13, 2007 St. John Chrysostom, Bishop, Doctor of the Church (Memorial) |
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| Lk 6:27-38 | ||
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| # | Douay-Rheims | Vulgate |
| 27 | But I say to you that hear: Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you. | sed vobis dico qui auditis diligite inimicos vestros benefacite his qui vos oderunt |
| 28 | Bless them that curse you, and pray for them that calumniate you. | benedicite maledicentibus vobis orate pro calumniantibus vos |
| 29 | And to him that striketh thee on the one cheek, offer also the other. And him that taketh away from thee thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also. | ei qui te percutit in maxillam praebe et alteram et ab eo qui aufert tibi vestimentum etiam tunicam noli prohibere |
| 30 | Give to every one that asketh thee, and of him that taketh away thy goods, ask them not again. | omni autem petenti te tribue et qui aufert quae tua sunt ne repetas |
| 31 | And as you would that men should do to you, do you also to them in like manner. | et prout vultis ut faciant vobis homines et vos facite illis similiter |
| 32 | And if you love them that love you, what thanks are to you? for sinners also love those that love them. | et si diligitis eos qui vos diligunt quae vobis est gratia nam et peccatores diligentes se diligunt |
| 33 | And if you do good to them who do good to you, what thanks are to you? for sinners also do this. | et si benefeceritis his qui vobis benefaciunt quae vobis est gratia siquidem et peccatores hoc faciunt |
| 34 | And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what thanks are to you? for sinners also lend to sinners, for to receive as much. | et si mutuum dederitis his a quibus speratis recipere quae gratia est vobis nam et peccatores peccatoribus fenerantur ut recipiant aequalia |
| 35 | But love ye your enemies: do good, and lend, hoping for nothing thereby: and your reward shall be great, and you shall be the sons of the Highest; for he is kind to the unthankful, and to the evil. | verumtamen diligite inimicos vestros et benefacite et mutuum date nihil desperantes et erit merces vestra multa et eritis filii Altissimi quia ipse benignus est super ingratos et malos |
| 36 | Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. | estote ergo misericordes sicut et Pater vester misericors est |
| 37 | Judge not: and you shall not be judged. Condemn not: and you shall not be condemned. Forgive: and you shall be forgiven. | nolite iudicare et non iudicabimini nolite condemnare et non condemnabimini dimittite et dimittemini |
| 38 | Give: and it shall be given to you: good measure and pressed down and shaken together and running over shall they give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you shall mete withal, it shall be measured to you again. | date et dabitur vobis mensuram bonam confersam et coagitatam et supereffluentem dabunt in sinum vestrum eadem quippe mensura qua mensi fueritis remetietur vobis |
You are correct. Chrsostom means “Golden Mouth” according to my priest at Daily Mass.
Collect: Father, the strength of all who trust in you, you made John Chrysostom renowned for his eloquence and heroic in his sufferings. May we learn from his teaching and gain courage from his patient endurance. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor
St. John Chrysostom, born in Antioch about 347 A.D., was a great genius. His powerful eloquence earned him the surname of Chrysostom, or golden mouthed. With St. Athanasius, St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Basil, he forms the group of the four great doctors of the Eastern Church. As Archbishop of Constantinople, his courageous stance against the vices of even the wealthy caused him to be exiled several times. As a result he died in 407, still in exile. His body is at St. Peter's in Rome. Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar St. John Chrysostom's feast was celebrated on January 27.
At this time, St. John Chrysostom decided to take his future into his own hands and became a monk-hermit, living in a cave, studying the Scriptures, and putting himself under the discipline of an old hermit named Hesychius. However, his health broke under this austere regimen and he returned to Antioch, was ordained a priest, and began his remarkable career as a preacher.
During the next twelve years, he electrified Antioch with his fiery sermons, filled with a knowledge and an eloquence that were astonishing. It was during this period that he received the nickname Chrysostom, or golden mouth, for his words seemed to be pure gold. In 397, when the see of Constantinople became vacant, the Emperor Arcadius appointed John patriarch, and since it was feared that he would refuse the honor, he was lured to Constantinople and consecrated bishop of the city in 398.
John found himself in a nest of political intrigue, fraud, extravagance, and naked ambition. He curbed expenses, gave lavishly to the poor, built hospitals, reformed the clergy, and restored monastic discipline. But his program of reform made him enemies, in particular the Empress Eudoxia and the Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria. The city in turmoil, his life threatened, John was exiled by the emperor in the year 404.
The papal envoys were imprisoned, and John — defended by the pope and ordered restored to his see — was sent further into exile, six hundred miles from Constantinople, across the Black Sea. Worn out and sick, he died of his hardships at Comana in Pontus. His last words were, "Glory to God for all things."
Excerpted from The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens
Patron: Constantinople; epilepsy; orators; preachers.
Symbols: Beehive; chalice on Bible; white dove; scroll or book; pen and inkhorn; bishop's mitre.
Things to Do:
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St John Chrysostom, 345-407. Doctor of Preachers, Feast, Sept 13th. |
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 86 (87) |
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| Jerusalem, mother of all nations |
| Its foundations are set on the sacred mountains – the Lord loves the gates of Sion more than all the tents of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, city of God! I shall count Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me. The Philistines, Tyrians, Ethiopians – all have their birthplace here. Of Sion it will be said “Here is the birthplace of all people: the Most High himself has set it firm”. The Lord shall write in the book of the nations: “Here is their birthplace”. They will sing as in joyful processions: “All my being springs from 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. |
| Canticle | Isaiah 40 |
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| The good shepherd is God, the Most High | |
| Behold, the Lord God comes in strength, and his right arm triumphs. Behold, his reward is with him, his prize is before him. Like a shepherd he feeds his flock, he gathers the lambs in his arms and lifts them to his breast; he carries the pregnant ewes. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and arranged the heavens with his palms? Who has measured the dust of the earth, weighed out the mountains, weighed the hills on the balance? Who directed the spirit of the Lord? Who gave him advice in his task? With whom did he consult? Who taught him? Who led him in the paths of justice, gave him knowledge, showed him the way of understanding? Behold, the Gentiles are like a drop in a bucket, a piece of fluff on the scales. All the islands are a handful of dust. What burnt-offering could be worthy of the Lord? The forests of Lebanon could not feed that fire; all the animals of Lebanon would not be enough for that sacrifice. All the nations count for nothing before him: for him, they are nothingness and emptiness. 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 98 (99) |
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| The Lord our God is holy |
| The Lord reigns! let the peoples tremble. He is enthroned on the cherubim: let the earth shake. The Lord is great in Sion, he is high above all the peoples. Let them proclaim his name – great and terrible it is, let them proclaim his holy name, the powerful king, who loves justice. The laws you establish are just: you have given Jacob uprightness and right judgement. Praise the Lord, our God, worship at his footstool, for he is holy. Moses and Aaron were among his prophets, Samuel one of those who called on him. They called on the Lord and he listened, and from the pillar of cloud he spoke to them. They kept his decrees and the commands he gave them. Lord our God, you listened to them; O God, you were gracious to them, but you punished their wrongdoing. Praise the Lord, our God, worship on his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy. 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 4:10 - 11 © |
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| Each one of you has received a special grace, so, like good stewards responsible for all these different graces of God, put yourselves at the service of others. If you are a speaker, speak in words which seem to come from God; if you are a helper, help as though every action was done at God’s orders; so that in everything God may receive the glory, through Jesus Christ, since to him alone belong all glory and power for ever and ever. 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. |
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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. |
| Almighty and eternal God, shed the brightness of your light on the people living in the shadow of death: the light that was brought to us by the Dawn from on high, our Dawn, the Lord Jesus Christ. He 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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A Most High Ideal
Luke 6: 27-38
Petition:Lord Jesus, help me to advance, step by step, towards the perfection you desire for me. 1. Revolution or a Civil War? The values that Jesus proposes in his sermon on the mountain might be termed “revolutionary”. Never had the ideal of love been placed so high, demanding such heroism in practice. That’s why what Jesus asks provokes a struggle within me, between the “old man”, who resists this message, and the ideals my Lord places before me. This might be termed a “civil war” played out on the battlefield of my heart. 2. The Golden Rule Jesus gives me what has been termed the “Golden Rule”: do to others as you would have them do to you. Since I naturally love myself to the point of desiring all good things and nothing bad to come my way, Jesus exhorts me to transfer that benevolence to others. This requires an effort for me, since I tend towards egoism. What can lift me up out of my smallness, my narrowness? 3. Becoming like God God’s plan for me is marvelous. It escapes my comprehension when Jesus tells me to be perfect, not according to a standard of human perfection, but according to divine perfection. My vocation is to become like God, for his divine life to increase in me and for my narrow, egoistic standards to diminish and disappear. I would not strive for such a high goal, if it were not commanded by my Lord. I must trust that he can do it in me. What I have to do is to collaborate with him, seeking him in prayer and discerning his will for me always. Conversation with Christ: I thank you Lord Jesus for wanting to transform me into a greater likeness of God. Without you, this is impossible. With you, everything is possible, even in me with all my weaknesses and limitations. Your will be done! Resolution: I will transform my way of judging: from my point of view to God’s. Today I will strive to put into practice the “Golden Rule”. |
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