Posted on 10/04/2009 11:27:27 PM PDT by Salvation
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Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week
in Ordinary Time
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Reading 1
Jon 1:1-2:2, 11
This is the word of the LORD that came to Jonah, son of Amittai:
“Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it;
their wickedness has come up before me.”
But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish away from the LORD.
He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish,
paid the fare, and went aboard to journey with them to Tarshish,
away from the LORD.
The LORD, however, hurled a violent wind upon the sea,
and in the furious tempest that arose
the ship was on the point of breaking up.
Then the mariners became frightened and each one cried to his god.
To lighten the ship for themselves, they threw its cargo into the sea.
Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship,
and lay there fast asleep.
The captain came to him and said, “What are you doing asleep?
Rise up, call upon your God!
Perhaps God will be mindful of us so that we may not perish.”
Then they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots
to find out on whose account we have met with this misfortune.”
So they cast lots, and thus singled out Jonah.
“Tell us,” they said, “what is your business?
Where do you come from?
What is your country, and to what people do you belong?”
Jonah answered them, “I am a Hebrew,
I worship the LORD, the God of heaven,
who made the sea and the dry land.”
Now the men were seized with great fear and said to him,
“How could you do such a thing!–
They knew that he was fleeing from the LORD,
because he had told them.–
They asked, “What shall we do with you,
that the sea may quiet down for us?”
For the sea was growing more and more turbulent.
Jonah said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,
that it may quiet down for you;
since I know it is because of me
that this violent storm has come upon you.”
Still the men rowed hard to regain the land, but they could not,
for the sea grew ever more turbulent.
Then they cried to the LORD: “We beseech you, O LORD,
let us not perish for taking this man’s life;
do not charge us with shedding innocent blood,
for you, LORD, have done as you saw fit.”
Then they took Jonah and threw him into the sea,
and the sea’s raging abated.
Struck with great fear of the LORD,
the men offered sacrifice and made vows to him.
But the LORD sent a large fish, that swallowed Jonah;
and Jonah remained in the belly of the fish
three days and three nights.
From the belly of the fish Jonah prayed
to the LORD, his God.
Then the LORD commanded the fish to spew Jonah upon the shore.
Responsorial Psalm
Jonah 2:3, 4, 5, 8
R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
Out of my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me;
From the midst of the nether world I cried for help,
and you heard my voice.
R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the sea,
and the flood enveloped me;
All your breakers and your billows
passed over me.
R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
Then I said, “I am banished from your sight!
yet would I again look upon your holy temple.”
R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the LORD;
My prayer reached you
in your holy temple.
R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
Gospel
Lk 10:25-37
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law?
How do you read it?”
He said in reply,
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself.”
He replied to him, “You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live.”
But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
“And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied,
“A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
‘Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.’
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”
He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”
Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
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A priest’s chalice
Christ for Us: The Year for Priests [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
On Mary, Mother of Priests
Bishop Olmsted on the Devil and John Vianney
Catholic Caucus: Prayer for Our Priests (Year of the Priest)
Benedict reflects on Mary and the priesthood [Catholic Caucus]
The Priesthood — A Priceless Gift
Forming Those Who Form Priests: The Gift of Purity of Heart
Spiritual Mothers of Priests: Your Questions [Year of the Priest]
Eucharistic Season in the Year of the Priesthood
Pope's Address at Audience With New Archbishops: "Carry Deeply in Your Hearts Your Priests"
No Matter What, He Always "Acts Like a Priest" [Ecumenical]
On Priestly Identity
What Can I Do For the Year of the Priest?
The Rosary for the Year of the Priest [Catholic Caucus]
Pope Notes His Goal for Year for Priests
On the Year for Priests
WHY A YEAR FOR PRIESTS?
Curé d'Ars: Model Priest [Year of the Priest]
ZENIT Launches Column on Priesthood
[Justin] Cardinal Rigali on the Year for Priests
Church Being Given Chance to Rediscover Priesthood [Year of the Priest]
Celebrating the Year of the Priesthood
St. John Vianney's Pastoral Plan
LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI PROCLAIMING A YEAR FOR PRIESTS [Catholic Caucus]
Year of the Priest Letter (Media immediately scrutinize its contents for controversy)
Year of the Priest [Catholic Caucus]
The Year for Priests [Catholic Caucus]
Year of the Priest Begins Friday
U.S. bishops launch website for Year for Priests
The Year of the Priest
We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: 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 who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
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October Devotion: The Holy Rosary
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. Pope Leo XIII personally started the practice of devoting October to the Rosary devotion. In a letter of September 1, 1883, mindful of the Rosary's power to strengthen faith and foster a life of virtue, he outlined the triumphs of the Rosary in past times and admonished the faithful to dedicate the month of October to the Blessed Virgin through the daily recitation of her Rosary in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, in order to obtain through her intercession the grace that God would console and defend His Church in her sufferings. We highly recommend that you read Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, or "On the Most Holy Rosary." It explains even further this wonderful devotion, and introduces the optional mysteries of light, or Luminous mysteries. |
INVOCATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.
TO THE QUEEN OF THE HOLY ROSARY
Queen of the most holy Rosary, in these times of such brazen impiety, manifest thy power with the signs of thine ancient victories, and from thy throne, whence thou dost dispense pardon and graces, mercifully regard the Church of thy Son, His Vicar on earth, and every order of clergy and laity, who are sore oppressed in the mighty conflict. Do thou, who art the powerful vanquisher of all heresies, hasten the hour of mercy, even though the hour of God's justice is every day provoked by the countless sins of men. For me who am the least of men, kneeling before thee in supplication, do thou obtain the grace I need to live righteously upon earth and to reign among the just in heaven, the while in company with all faithful Christians throughout the world, I salute thee and acclaim thee as Queen of the most holy Rosary:
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.
TO OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY
O Virgin Mary, grant that the recitation of thy Rosary may be for me each day, in the midst of my manifold duties, a bond of unity in my actions, a tribute of filial piety, a sweet refreshment, an encouragement to walk joyfully along the path of duty. Grant, above all, O Virgin Mary, that the study of thy fifteen mysteries may form in my soul, little by little, a luminous atmosphere, pure, strengthening, and fragrant, which may penetrate my understanding, my will, my heart, my memory, my imagination, my whole being. So shall I acquire the habit of praying while I work, without the aid of formal prayers, by interior acts of admiration and of supplication, or by aspirations of love. I ask this of thee, O Queen of the holy Rosary, through Saint Dominic, thy son of predilection, the renowned preacher of thy mysteries, and the faithful imitator of thy virtues. Amen.
FOR THE CRUSADE OF THE FAMILY ROSARY
The Family Rosary Crusade, organized and directed by Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., sought to revive the practice of families reciting the Rosary daily within their homes. The Crusade has the encouragement and support of Pope Pius XII and it is succeeding admirably in realizing the desire of the Pope that no family would allow a day to pass without the recitation of the Rosary. This prayer was composed by Cardinal Spellman when the Crusade visited his Archdiocese.
O Queen of the most holy Rosary: with hearts full of confidence we earnestly beseech you to bless the Crusade of the Family Rosary. From you came the grace to begin it. >From you must come the grace to win souls to it. We beg you to bless this Crusade so that from every home the incense of this prayer will daily rise before you, O admirable Mother.
O Queen of Homes: by the power of the Rosary we beseech you to embrace all the members of our family in the love of your Immaculate Heart. May you abide with us and we with you, praying to you while you pray for us. May you preside in our homes as once you did at Nazareth with Jesus and Joseph, filling them with the holiness of your presence and inspiration.
O Queen of Peace: it is you who have placed the Rosary in our hands. It is you who bid us to recite it daily. By the power of the Family Rosary we beseech you to obtain peace for uspeace within our hearts, our homes, our country and throughout the world. Through the daily recitation of the Family Rosary we beg you to keep sin from our souls, enmities from our hearts and war from our shores. By the graces received from the devotion of the Family Rosary we pray to be made helpful to one another in following the paths of virtue so that we may be found worthy to be called children of your family, children of your home. Amen.
Cardinal Spellman
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
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: 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 who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
The Joyful Mysteries
(Mondays and Saturdays)
1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]
The Luminous Mysteries or Mysteries of Light
(Thursdays) see Rosarium Virginis Mariae
1. Jesus' Baptism in the Jordan (II Corinthians 5:21, Matthew 3:17 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Gratitude for the gift of Faith]
2. Jesus' self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana (John 2:1- 12) [Spiritual fruit - Fidelity]
3. Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with His call to conversion (Mark 1:15, Mark 2:3-13; Luke 7:47- 48, John 20:22-23) [Spiritual fruit - Desire for Holiness]
4. Jesus' Transfiguration (Luke 9:35 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Spiritual Courage]
5. Jesus' institution of the Eucharist, as the sacramental expression of the Paschal Mystery. (Luke 24:13-35 and parallels, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25) [Spiritual fruit - Love of our Eucharistic Lord]
The Sorrowful Mysteries
(Tuesdays and Fridays)
1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God's will be done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in our heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient bearing of trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]
The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]
Beginning Catholic: How to Pray the Rosary: Contemplating Christ With Mary [Ecumenical]
[Oregon] Rosary Bowl focuses on links between prayer, evangelization
Rosary Is a School of Mary, Says Pope: Encourages Recitation [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Rosary and the Republic
Protestants and the rosary
Estimated 50,000 recite rosary in event at Rose Bowl
The Rosary and Orthodoxy
Father Benedict Groeschel on the Rosary
THE HOLY ROSARY
Catholic Caucus: The Holy Rosary
The Power of the Rosary - A Weapon Against Terrorism
Rosary May Contribute to Unity Says Protestant Theologian
Papal Address on the Rosary as a Weapon of Peace
Very simple guide to praying/learning the Rosary
October: Month of the Holy Rosary
Rosary-Prayers Aiming to Break Record [Catholic Caucus]
Rosary vs. Repetitious Prayer [Ecumenical]
The Luminous Mysteries [of the Rosary]: Knowing Jesus in His Public Ministry
New campaign launched to promote family rosary
Chant the Rosary... in Latin!
Protestants and the rosary
Estimated 50,000 recite rosary in event at Rose Bowl
Our Lady of Victory (HLI Page)
Tips on Praying a Family Rosary
SRI LANKA CATHOLICS START ROSARY CHAIN FOR PEACE
Rosary Aids Spiritual Growth, Says Pope
Pray the Rosary
Rosary to Mark St. Martha's Feast
THE HOLY ROSARY
Catholic Caucus: The Holy Rosary
[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries
Praying the Rosary By Bishop Fulton J. Sheen(Catholic Caucus)
Holy Father's Prayer Intentions For October 2009
General: That Sunday may be lived as the day on which Christians gather to celebrate the risen Lord, participating in the Eucharist.
Mission: That the entire People of God, to whom Christ entrusted the mandate to go and preach the Gospel to every creature, may eagerly assume their own missionary responsibility and consider it the highest service they can offer humanity.
From: Jonah 1:1-2:1-2, 11
The prophet is charged with a mission and takes flight
The storm
[7] And they said to one another, “Come let us cast lots, that we may know on
whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell
upon Jonah. [8] Then they said to him, “Tell us, on whose account this evil has
come upon us? What is your occupation? And whence do you come? What is
your country? And to what people are you?” [9] And he said to them, “I am a
Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry
land.” [10] Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “What is
this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the pres-
ence of the Lord, because he had told them.
[11] Then the said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet
down for us? For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. [12] He said to
them, “Take me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for
you; for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.”
[13] Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship back to land, but they
could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. [14]
Therefore they cried to the Lord, “We beseech thee, O Lord, let us not perish for
this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood; for thou, O Lord, hast done as
it pleased thee.” [15] So they took up Jonah and threw him into the sea; and the
sea ceased from its raging. [16] Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and
they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
[17a] And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in
the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah in the belly of the fish
Jonah’s psalm of thanksgiving
[10] And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
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Commentary:
1:1-2:10. The first part of the book acts as an introduction to the second, which
is where the main message is developed. The first two chapters contain the
main storyline and introduce the main characters. As regards the story, they
show that when God proposes to do something it will inevitably be done: Jonah
does not want to carry out God’s command, but he does so despite himself (he
is as stubborn and awkward at the end – cf. 3:1-2 – as he was at the start – cf.
1:1-2); in addition, some sailors learn to invoke the Lord, the only God.
But the main function of these chapters is to introduce the characters of the story
– God, the pagans and Jonah. The Lord God of Israel, as Jonah well knows, is
“the god of heaven, who made the sea and dry land” (1:9) and he is also the Just
One who never accuses an innocent person, and who acts as he pleases (1:14).
His dominion over the animal (1:17; 2:10) and inanimate (1:4, 15) world and over
the destinies of men (1:7) goes to show that he has this power.
The sailors, who are pagans, are religious men and well-disposed towards others
(cf. the note on 1:4-16).
Jonah is the character around whom the story is built. At first he does not make
a very good impression – certainly not, if you focus on his disobedience to the
Lord (1:3). However, the text does have positive things to say about the prophet:
Jonah does not hesitate to say that he worships the Lord, the God of heaven and
earth, and he is ready to prove his faith by deeds (1:9, 12). He is also a devout
person: when he is in the belly of the fish, he prays to the Lord (2:1) in the style
of a grateful Israelite (2:1-9). Even so, the sacred writer regards Jonah as an in-
consistent man: one moment (1:9) he is saying that God is the Lord of sea and
earth, and yet he tries to hide from him; and later on, he will acknowledge God
to be merciful (4:2), and yet ask him to punish the Ninevites rather than have
mercy on them.
There is also another feature that defines Jonah. Despite his disobedience to
God’s command, Jonah has something that the pagan sailors to not have: he
knows the true God and therefore only he knows how to resolve the situation
when they are plunged into danger (1:12, 15). If we bear in mind that the name
Jonah means “dove” (a name given elsewhere in the Bible to Israel: cf. Hos 7:11;
11:11; etc.), we could say that, if the sailors symbolize pagans in general, Jonah
in some way represents Israel. In the sense the book of Jonah is about the role
of Israel in the world. In this connexion St Jerome says: “The twelve minor pro-
phets, gathered together in a single volume, foretell more and greater ideas and
events that can be gleaned from a literal interpretation […]. Jonah, the most
beautiful dove, prefigures the passion of the Lord; he calls the world to conver-
sion and, in his mission to Nineveh, proclaims salvation to the Gentiles” (Epis-
tulae, 53).
1:1-3. The book begins with the failed attempt to send Jonah on a mission. The
place-names and the whole scene are less real than symbolic: Jonah is sent to
Nineveh (a most wicked city: cf. v. 1 – its reputation in biblical tradition: cf. Nah
3:1-4), but he goes off in the very opposite direction, to Tarshish. This could
mean Tartessos, a Phoenician colony in southern Spain, but it could also mean
some distant place in the west (cf. the note on Is 23:1-18). If Nineveh is to the
east of Jerusalem, Tarshish is to the west, but the main thing about it is that it
is “[away] from the presence of the Lord” (v. 3).
Jonah disobeys the Lord and he does so blatantly. However, the sacred writer is
more subtle: he describes Jonah’s actions in such a way that they come across
as the very opposite of those of Jeremiah, the prophet of the nations (cf. Jer 1:4ff);
indeed, Jonah acts more in the style of Cain: like Cain, Jonah flees “from the pre-
sence of the Lord” (v. 3; cf Gen 4:13, 16) and like him he gets very annoyed with
God (cf. 4:1-4); Gen 4:4-7), although in the end God protects them both (cf. 2:1-2;
Gen 4:15); “The flight of the prophet can be read as a general metaphor for the
way that man runs away from the presence of God and immerses himself I the
things of this world when he has broken His commandments; but the storms of
misfortune and the doom of shipwreck prompt him to remember God’s presence
and to journey back to the One from which he sought to flee (St Jerome, Com-
mentarii in Ionam, 1, 4).
1:4-16. The story of Jonah’s adventure at sea is designed to show two things –
that the Lord can also be the God of the pagans; and that even people who do
not know God can have many virtues. The episode depicts the sailors as reli-
gious men: when shipwreck threatens, they do not just lighten the boat’s load,
but they pray to their gods. This natural religious feeling of theirs is full of imper-
fections; however, it is the route they take to discover the true God: each invokes
his own god (vv. 5, 6) and they cast lots to find out who is the guilty one, the
cause of their misfortune (v. 7). In the writings of some pagan authors (Horace
and Cicero, for example), we find evidence of this belief that if someone guilty of
sin was on a boat he was a risk to the rest of those on board (cf. v. 10). But the
sailors were not only men of faith: they were also kind people: when Jonah sug-
gests that they throw him overboard to quell the storm (cf. v. 12), they don’t take
him up on it; they try to reach the shore by rowing (v. 13). Only as a last resort
do they throw Jonah overboard (v. 15), and not before calling on the Lord not to
hold it against them (v. 14): “How great is the faith of these sailors! They find
themselves in terrible danger, and plead for the life of another: they know that
the spiritual death of sin is more than physical death” (St Jerome, Commentarii
in Ionam, 1, 14).
The result of these adventures is that the sailors are converted to the God of
Israel, so, instead of each calling on “his god” (vv. 5, 6), they call on the Lord (vv.
14-16). Also, they end up making vows to the Lord and offering sacrifice to him
(v. 16); that is, they do exactly what Jonah promises to do once he is saved (cf.
2:9). It is easy to see where all this is leading to – to a situation where salvation,
quite plainly, is open to everyone: all who are upright can attain God’s salvation;
not only in the temple but even on a ship it is possible to offer sacrifice to the
Lord.
1:17-2:10. Chapter 1 has shown God’s providence at work in all sorts of ways.
Now that providence focuses on Jonah, saving him from the sea and bringing
him onto dry land. Being swallowed by the big fish (1:17) is not a punishment for
Jonah, but a salvation (2:2, 6, 9). In biblical tradition, the sea is depicted as a
place of elements hostile to man – things that only God can control (cf. Job 7:12;
Ps 104:9; etc.), which is why, on occasions, it is likened to Sheol (v. 2; cf. Job
7:9), the domain of death from which none can return (v. 6). If one bears in mind
that sense of the word, Jesus’ use of the sign of Jonah (Mt. 12:40) to explain his
own death and resurrection is much less artificial than might appear at first sight:
Sheol, the kingdom of death, cannot hold Christ in its grip for more than three
days. Also, the role of water in the Jonah story may explain why the text is used
in baptismal liturgy. The Christian is immersed, buried, in the water of Baptism
and reborn to a new form of life in Christ: “To enter into perfect life, we must imi-
tate the example of Christ, and not only the examples of meekness, patience
and humility that he gave us in life, but also the example of his death […]. We
relive his death in our lives by being buried with him in baptism. What type of
tomb is this, and what good does it do us to enter into death of Christ? A clean
break with everything in our past lives is necessary, and this is possible only
through the new birth of which the Lord spoke: re-birth, as the word itself sug-
gests, marks the beginning of new life […]. How can we follow Christ when he
descends among the dead? We follow him into the tomb by our baptism. The
bodies of those who are baptized are, in a certain sense, buried in the waters
of baptism. In a myssterious way, baptism strips the body of its past sins” (St
Basil, De Spiritu Sancto, 15, 35).
Jonah’s prayer in the belly of the fish (vv. 2-9) is a mosaic of passages borrowed
(not exactly verbatim) from the Psalms. What we have here is a typical thanks-
giving psalm – past afflictions recalled, an account of how the person was res-
cued from them, a promise to offer sacrifices and to keep one’s vows. It may
seem a little strange that this prayer is proclaimed here: it would, one might
think, fit better after v. 10, when Jonah has been saved. Still, the thrust of the
prayer is perfectly compatible with the context. Therefore, Origen comments,
“Who can tell what evil in our day is represented by the great beast that swal-
lowed Jonah? […]. Because he was unfaithful, Jonah woke in the body of the
whale; when he repented, he was spat out again. Back on dry land, he obeyed
the commandments of the Lord and became […] the herald of salvation to all
Ninevites, including those of today, who live under the threat of death. Rejoicing
in the mercy of God, Jonah did not want to see God’s justice and punishment
carried out on the sinful” (De oratione, 13, 4).
*********************************************************************************************
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 10:25-37
Parable of the Good Samaritan
[30] Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he
fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him
half dead. [31] Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he
saw him he passed by on the other side. [32] So likewise a Levite, when he
came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a Sa-
maritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had
compassion, [34] and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and
wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care
of him. [35] And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the inn-
keeper, saying, “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay
you when I come back.’ [36] Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor
to the man who fell among the robbers?” [37] He said, “The one who showed
mercy on him.” And Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
25-28. Our Lord’s teaching is that the way to attain eternal life is through faithful
fulfillment of the Law of God. The Ten Commandments, which God gave Moses
on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:1-17), express the natural law in a clear and con-
crete way. It is part of Christian teaching that the natural law exists, that it is a
participation by rational creatures in the Eternal Law and that it is impressed on
the conscience of every man when he is created by God (cf. Leo XIII, “Libertas
Praestantissimum”). Obviously, therefore, the natural law, expressed in the Ten
Commandments, cannot change or become outdated, for it is not dependent on
man’s will or on changing circumstances.
In this passage, Jesus praises and accepts the summary of the Law given by
the Jewish scribe. This reply, taken from Deuteronomy (6:4ff), was a prayer which
the Jews used to say frequently. Our Lord gives the very same reply when He is
asked which is the principal commandment of the Law and concludes His answer
by saying, “On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets”
(Matthew 22:40; cf. also Romans 13:8-9; Galatians 5:14).
There is a hierarchy and order in these two commandments constituting the dou-
ble precept of charity: before everything and above everything comes loving God
in Himself; in the second place, and as a consequence of the first commandment,
comes loving one’s neighbor, for God explicitly requires us to do so (1 John 4:21;
cf. notes on Matthew 22:34-40 and 22:37-38).
This passage of the Gospel also included another basic doctrine: the Law of
God is not something negative—”Do not do this”—but something completely posi-
tive — love. Holiness, to which all baptized people are called, does not consist in
not sinning, but in loving, in doing positive things, in bearing fruit in the form of
love of God. When our Lord describes for us the Last Judgment He stresses this
positive aspect of the Law of God (Matthew 25:31-46). The reward of eternal life
will be given to those who do good.
27. “Yes, our only occupation here on earth is that of loving God—that is, to start
doing what we will be doing for all eternity. Why must we love God? Well, be-
cause our happiness consists in love of God; it can consist in nothing else. So,
if we do not love God, we will always be unhappy; and if we wish to enjoy any
consolation and relief in our pains, we will attain it only by recourse to love of
God. If you want to be convinced of this, go and find the happiest man according
to the world; if he does not love God, you will find that in fact he is an unhappy
man. And, on the contrary, if you discover the man most unhappy in the eyes of
the world, you will see that because he loves God he is happy in every way. Oh
my God!, open the eyes of our souls, and we will seek our happiness where we
truly can find it” (St. John Mary Vianney, “Selected Sermons”, Twenty-second
Sunday after Pentecost).
29-37. In this moving parable, which only St. Luke gives us, our Lord explains
very graphically who our neighbor is and how we should show charity towards
him, even if he is our enemy.
Following other Fathers, St. Augustine (”De Verbis Domini Sermones”, 37)
identifies the Good Samaritan with our Lord, and the waylaid man with Adam,
the source and symbol of all fallen mankind. Moved by compassion and piety,
He comes down to earth to cure man’s wounds, making them His own (Isaiah
53:4; Matthew 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 3:5). In fact, we often see Jesus
being moved by man’s suffering (cf. Matthew 9:36; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13). And
St. John says: “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God
sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is
love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the
expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one
another” (1 John 4:9-11).
This parable leaves no doubt about who our neighbor is—anyone (without distinc-
tion of race or relationship) who needs our help; nor about how we should love
him—by taking pity on him, being compassionate towards his spiritual and cor-
poral needs; and it is not just a matter of having the right feelings towards him;
we must do something, we must generously serve him.
Christians, who are disciples of Christ, should share His love and compassion,
never distancing themselves from others’ needs. One way to express love for
one’s neighbor is perform the “works of mercy”, which get their name from the
fact that they are not duties in justice. There are fourteen such works, seven
spiritual and seven corporal. The spiritual are: To convert the sinner; To instruct
the ignorant; To counsel the doubtful; To comfort the sorrowful; To bear wrongs
patiently; To forgive injuries; To pray for the living and the dead. The corporal
works are: To feed the hungry; To give drink to the thirsty; To clothe the naked;
To shelter the homeless; To visit the sick; To visit the imprisoned; To bury the
dead.
31-32. Very probably one reason why our Lord used this parable was to correct
one of the excesses of false piety common among His contemporaries. Accor-
ding to the Law of Moses, contact with dead bodies involved legal impurity, from
which one was cleansed by various ablutions (cf. Numbers 19:11-22; Leviticus
21:1-4, 11-12). These regulations were not meant to prevent people from helping
the injured; they were designed for reasons of hygiene and respect for the dead.
The aberration of the priest and the Levite in this parable consisted in this: they
did not know for sure whether the man who had been assaulted was dead or not,
and they preferred to apply a wrong interpretation of a secondary, ritualistic pre-
cept of the Law rather than obey the more important commandment of loving
one’s neighbor and giving him whatever help one can.
*********************************************************************************************
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 | Jonah 1:1-2:1,11 © |
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The word of the Lord was addressed to Jonah son of Amittai:
‘Up!’ he said ‘Go to Nineveh, the great city, and inform them that their wickedness has become known to me.’ Jonah decided to run away from the Lord, and to go to Tarshish. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish; he paid his fare and went aboard, to go with them to Tarshish, to get away from the Lord. But the Lord unleashed a violent wind on the sea, and there was such a great storm at sea that the ship threatened to break up. The sailors took fright, and each of them called on his own god, and to lighten the ship they threw the cargo overboard. Jonah, however, had gone below and lain down in the hold and fallen fast asleep. The boatswain came upon him and said, ‘What do you mean by sleeping? Get up! Call on your god! Perhaps he will spare us a thought, and not leave us to die.’ Then they said to each other, ‘Come on, let us draw lots to find out who is responsible for bringing this evil on us.’ So they cast lots, and the lot fell to Jonah. Then they said to him, ‘Tell us, what is your business? Where do you come from? What is your country? What is your nationality?’ He replied, ‘I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.’ The sailors were seized with terror at this and said, ‘What have you done?’ They knew that he was trying to escape from the Lord, because he had told them so. They then said, ‘What are we to do with you, to make the sea grow calm for us?’ For the sea was growing rougher and rougher. He replied, ‘Take me and throw me into the sea, and then it will grow calm for you. For I can see it is my fault this violent storm has happened to you.’ The sailors rowed hard in an effort to reach the shore, but in vain, since the sea grew still rougher for them. They then called on the Lord and said, ‘O the Lord, do not let us perish for taking this man’s life; do not hold us guilty of innocent blood; for you, the Lord, have acted as you have thought right.’ And taking hold of Jonah they threw him into the sea; and the sea grew calm again. At this the men were seized with dread of the Lord; they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
The Lord had arranged that a great fish should be there to swallow Jonah; and Jonah remained in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. The Lord spoke to the fish, which then vomited Jonah on to the shore.
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| Psalm or canticle | Jonah 2:3-5,8 © |
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Out of my distress I cried to the Lord
and he answered me;
from the belly of Sheol I cried,
and you have heard my voice.
You cast me into the abyss, into the heart of the sea,
and the flood surrounded me.
All your waves, your billows,
washed over me.
And I said: I am cast out
from your sight.
How shall I ever look again
on your holy Temple?
While my soul was fainting within me,
I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer came before you
into your holy Temple.
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| Gospel | Luke 10:25-37 © |
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There was a lawyer who, to disconcert Jesus, stood up and said to him, ‘Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? What do you read there?’ He replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.’ ‘You have answered right,’ said Jesus ‘do this and life is yours.’
But the man was anxious to justify himself and said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead. Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him. Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said “and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have.” Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’ ‘The one who took pity on him’ he replied. Jesus said to him, ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. |
Icon of St. Faustina Kowalska written by Marek Czarnecki of Seraphic Restorations in Avon, Conn.
Through the mediation of St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-38), Jesus has given us a teaching on God's mercy, and a new form of devotion known as the Divine Mercy. The devotion centers on veneration of the image of the merciful Jesus. The image was described by the Lord to Sister Faustina, a Polish nun, and then painted by her. The Divine Mercy devotion includes recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, celebration of the feast of Divine Mercy the first Sunday after Easter, and keeping holy the hour of Christ’s death.
On Sept. 13, 1935, in Vilnius (now the capital of Lithuania), Jesus "dictated" the words of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to Sister Faustina. It is important to note that this took place after a vision of an angel, "the executor of Divine wrath," during which the mystic nun, terrified, began to "implore God for the world with words heard interiorly." This was recorded in her diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul (I, 196-197) [Stockbridge, Mass.: Marians of the Immaculate Conception, 2001; subsequent quotes are also from this source]. The next day Christ taught Sister Faustina to pray the chaplet, which she called "the prayer that serves to appease the wrath of God" (I, 197).
Saint Faustina, a Doctor of the Church? [Catholic Caucus]
Divine Mercy Sunday - message from Saint Faustina Kowalska and link to JPII
75th Anniversary of the appearance of Jesus to St. Faustina to prepare world for 2nd Coming
Divine Mercy
The Message of Divine Mercy
Divine Mercy
Chaplet of Divine Mercy
A New Doctor of the Church? (Why St. Faustina Deserves This Rare Honor and Title)
Miracle Cure Brings Sainthood to Polish Nun (Divine Mercy)
Inculturation at Papal Masses; next, Poland and St. Faustina
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 49 (50) |
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| True reverence for the Lord |
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Our God will certainly come, and he will not be silent.
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The Lord, the God of gods has spoken:
he has summoned the whole earth, from east to west.
God has shone forth from Zion in her great beauty.
Our God will come, and he will not be silent.
Before him, a devouring fire;
around him, a tempest rages.
He will call upon the heavens above, and on the earth, to judge his people.
“Bring together before me my chosen ones, who have sealed my covenant with sacrifice.”
The heavens will proclaim his justice; for God is the true judge.
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 God will certainly come, and he will not be silent.
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| Psalm 49 (50) |
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Offer a sacrifice of praise to God.
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Listen, my people, and I will speak;
Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.
I will not reproach you with your sacrifices,
for your burnt offerings are always before me.
But I will not accept calves from your houses,
nor goats from your flocks.
For all the beasts of the forests are mine,
and in the hills, a thousand animals.
All the birds of the air – I know them.
Whatever moves in the fields – it is mine.
If I am hungry, I will not tell you;
for the whole world is mine, and all that is in it.
Am I to eat the flesh of bulls,
or drink the blood of goats?
Offer a sacrifice to God – a sacrifice of praise;
to the Most High, fulfil your vows.
Then you may call upon me in the time of trouble:
I will rescue you, and you will honour 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.
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Offer a sacrifice of praise to God.
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| Psalm 49 (50) |
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I desire loving kindness, not sacrifice; knowledge of God, not burnt offerings.
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To the sinner, God has said this:
Why do you recite my statutes?
Why do you dare to speak my covenant?
For you hate what I teach you,
and reject what I tell you.
The moment you saw a thief, you joined him;
you threw in your lot with adulterers.
You spoke evil with your mouth,
and your tongue made plans to deceive.
Solemnly seated, you denounced your own brother;
you poured forth hatred against your own mother’s son.
All this you did, and I was silent;
so you thought that I was just like you.
But I will reprove you –
I will confront you with all you have done.
Understand this, you who forget God;
lest I tear you apart, with no-one there to save you.
Whoever offers up a sacrifice of praise gives me true honour;
whoever follows a sinless path in life will be shown the salvation of God.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
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I desire loving kindness, not sacrifice; knowledge of God, not burnt offerings.
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Listen, my people, and I shall speak.
– I am God, your God.
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| Reading | 1 Timothy 2:1-15 © |
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My advice is that, first of all, there should be prayers offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet. To do this is right, and will please God our saviour: he wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth. For there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between God and mankind, himself a man, Christ Jesus, who sacrificed himself as a ransom for them all. He is the evidence of this, sent at the appointed time, and I have been named a herald and apostle of it and – I am telling the truth and no lie – a teacher of the faith and the truth to the pagans.
In every place, then, I want the men to lift their hands up reverently in prayer, with no anger or argument.
Similarly, I direct that women are to wear suitable clothes and to be dressed quietly and modestly, without braided hair or gold and jewellery or expensive clothes; their adornment is to do the sort of good works that are proper for women who profess to be religious. During instruction, a woman should be quiet and respectful. I am not giving permission for a woman to teach or to tell a man what to do. A woman ought not to speak, because Adam was formed first and Eve afterwards, and it was not Adam who was led astray but the woman who was led astray and fell into sin. Nevertheless, she will be saved by childbearing, provided she lives a modest life and is constant in faith and love and holiness.
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| Reading | St Ambrose on Cain and Abel |
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| Above all, we should pray for the whole body of the Church | |
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Offer to God a sacrifice of praise and pay your vows to the Most High. To praise God is both to make your vow and to fulfil it. That is why the Samaritan in the story is placed above his companions: with nine other lepers he was cured of his leprosy by the command of the Lord, but he alone came back to Christ, praised the greatness of God and gave thanks. Jesus said of him: There was none of these who returned and thanked God, except this foreigner. And he said to him: Rise up and go on your way, for your faith has made you whole.
The Lord Jesus also taught you about the goodness of the Father, who knows how to give good things: and so you should ask for good things from the One who is good. Jesus told us to pray urgently and often, so that our prayers should not be long and tedious but short, earnest and frequent. Long elaborate prayers overflow with pointless phrases, and long gaps between prayers eventually stretch out into complete neglect.
Next he advises that when you ask forgiveness for yourself then you must take special care to grant it also to others. In that way your action can add its voice to yours as you pray. The apostle also teaches that when you pray you must be free from anger and from disagreement with anyone, so that your prayer is not disturbed or broken into.
The apostle teaches us to pray anywhere, while the Saviour says Go into your room – but you must understand that this “room” is not the room with four walls that confines your body when you are in it, but the secret space within you in which your thoughts are enclosed and where your sensations arrive. That is your prayer-room, always with you wherever you are, always secret wherever you are, with your only witness being God.
Above all, you must pray for the whole people: that is, for the whole body, for every part of your mother the Church, whose distinguishing feature is mutual love. If you ask for something for yourself then you will be praying for yourself only – and you must remember that more grace comes to one who prays for others than to any ordinary sinner. If each person prays for all people, then all people are effectively praying for each.
In conclusion, if you ask for something for yourself alone, you will be the only one asking for it; but if you ask for benefits for all, all in their turn will be asking for them for you. For you are in fact one of the “all.” Thus it is a great reward, as each person’s prayers acquire the weight of the prayers of everyone. There is nothing presumptuous about thinking like this: on the contrary, it is a sign of greater humility and more abundant fruitfulness.
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| Concluding Prayer |
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Almighty and ever-living God, your generosity exceeds what we deserve and even what we ask for in prayer.
Pour out your compassion on us:
forgive whatever is weighing on our consciences,
and grant us gifts that we would not even dare to pray for.
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 Mary Faustina Kowalska
October 5th
from Vatican website
St. Faustina was born on August 25, 1905 in Glogowiec in Poland of a poor and religious family of peasants, the third of ten children. She was baptized with the name Helena. From a very tender age she stood out because of her love of prayer, work, obedience, and also her sensitivity to the poor. At the age of nine she made her first Holy Communion living this moment very profoundly in her awareness of the presence of the Divine Guest within her soul. She attended school for three years. At the age of sixteen she left home and went to work as a housekeeper in order to find the means of supporting herself and of helping her parents.
At the age of seven she had already felt the first stirrings of a religious vocation. After finishing school, she wanted to enter the convent but her parents would not give her permission. Called during a vision of the Suffering Christ, on August 1, 1925 she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and took the name Sister Mary Faustina. She lived in the Congregation for thirteen years and lived in several religious houses. She worked as a cook, gardener and porter.
Externally nothing revealed her rich mystical interior life. She zealously performed her tasks and faithfully observed the rule of religious life. She was recollected and at the same time very natural, serene and full of kindness and disinterested love for her neighbor. Although her life was apparently insignificant, monotonous and dull, she hid within herself an extraordinary union with God.
It is the mystery of the Mercy of God which she contemplated in the word of God as well as in the everyday activities of her life that forms the basis of her spirituality. The process of contemplating and getting to know the mystery of God's mercy helped develop within Sr. Mary Faustina the attitude of child-like trust in God as well as mercy toward the neighbors. O my Jesus, each of Your saints reflects one of Your virtues; I desire to reflect Your compassionate heart, full of mercy; I want to glorify it. Let Your mercy, O Jesus, be impressed upon my heart and soul like a seal, and this will be my badge in this and the future life (Diary 1242). Sister Faustina was a faithful daughter of the Church which she loved like a Mother and a Mystic Body of Jesus Christ. Conscious of her role in the Church, she cooperated with God's mercy in the task of saving lost souls. At the specific request of and following the example of the Lord Jesus, she made a sacrifice of her own life for this very goal. In her spiritual life she also distinguished herself with a love of the Eucharist and a deep devotion to the Mother of Mercy.
The mission of Sister Mary Faustina consists in 3 tasks:
reminding the world of the truth of our faith revealed in the Holy Scripture about the merciful love of God toward every human being.
Entreating God's mercy for the whole world and particularly for sinners, among others through the practice of new forms of devotion to the Divine Mercy presented by the Lord Jesus, such as: the veneration of the image of the Divine Mercy with the inscription: Jesus, I Trust in You, the feast of the Divine Mercy celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter, chaplet to the Divine Mercy and prayer at the Hour of Mercy (3 p.m.). The Lord Jesus attached great promises to the above forms of devotion, provided one entrusted one's life to God and practiced active love of one's neighbor.
The third task in Sr. Mary Faustina's mission consists in initiating the apostolic movement of the Divine Mercy which undertakes the task of proclaiming and entreating God's mercy for the world and strives for Christian perfection, following the precepts laid down by the Blessed Sr. Mary Faustina. The precepts in question require the faithful to display an attitude of child-like trust in God which expresses itself in fulfilling His will, as well as in the attitude of mercy toward one's neighbors. Today, this movement within the Church involves millions of people throughout the world; it comprises religious congregations, lay institutes, religious, brotherhoods, associations, various communities of apostles of the Divine Mercy, as well as individual people who take up the tasks which the Lord Jesus communicated to them through Sr. Mary Faustina.
Sister Mary Faustina, consumed by tuberculosis and by innumerable sufferings which she accepted as a voluntary sacrifice for sinners, died in Krakow at the age of just thirty three on October 5, 1938 with a reputation for spiritual maturity and a mystical union with God. The reputation of the holiness of her life grew as did the cult to the Divine Mercy and the graces she obtained from God through her intercession. In the years 1965-67, the investigative Process into her life and heroic virtues was undertaken in Krakow and in the year 1968, the Beatification Process was initiated in Rome. The latter came to an end in December 1992. On April 18, 1993 our Holy Father John Paul II raised Sister Faustina to the glory of the altars.
Principle Source: http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/documents/ns_lit_doc_20000430_faustina_en.html
Homily of the Holy Father
HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER
MASS IN ST PETER'S SQUARE FOR THE CANONIZATION
OF SR MARY FAUSTINA KOWALSKA
Sunday, April 30, 2000
1. "Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus, quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius"; "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his steadfast love endures for ever" (Ps 118: 1). So the Church sings on the Octave of Easter, as if receiving from Christ's lips these words of the Psalm; from the lips of the risen Christ, who bears the great message of divine mercy and entrusts its ministry to the Apostles in the Upper Room: "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.... Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (Jn 20: 21-23).
Before speaking these words, Jesus shows his hands and his side. He points, that is, to the wounds of the Passion, especially the wound in his heart, the source from which flows the great wave of mercy poured out on humanity. From that heart Sr Faustina Kowalska, the blessed whom from now on we will call a saint, will see two rays of light shining from that heart and illuminating the world: "The two rays", Jesus himself explained to her one day, "represent blood and water" (Diary, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, p. 132).
2. Blood and water! We immediately think of the testimony given by the Evangelist John, who, when a solider on Calvary pierced Christ's side with his spear, sees blood and water flowing from it (cf. Jn 19: 34). Moreover, if the blood recalls the sacrifice of the Cross and the gift of the Eucharist, the water, in Johannine symbolism, represents not only Baptism but also the gift of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 3: 5; 4: 14; 7: 37-39).
Divine Mercy reaches human beings through the heart of Christ crucified: "My daughter, say that I am love and mercy personified", Jesus will ask Sr Faustina (Diary, p. 374). Christ pours out this mercy on humanity though the sending of the Spirit who, in the Trinity, is the Person-Love. And is not mercy love's "second name" (cf. Dives in misericordia, n. 7), understood in its deepest and most tender aspect, in its ability to take upon itself the burden of any need and, especially, in its immense capacity for forgiveness?
Today my joy is truly great in presenting the life and witness of Sr Faustina Kowalska to the whole Church as a gift of God for our time. By divine Providence, the life of this humble daughter of Poland was completely linked with the history of the 20th century, the century we have just left behind. In fact, it was between the First and Second World Wars that Christ entrusted his message of mercy to her. Those who remember, who were witnesses and participants in the events of those years and the horrible sufferings they caused for millions of people, know well how necessary was the message of mercy.
Jesus told Sr Faustina: "Humanity will not find peace until it turns trustfully to divine mercy" (Diary, p. 132). Through the work of the Polish religious, this message has become linked for ever to the 20th century, the last of the second millennium and the bridge to the third. It is not a new message but can be considered a gift of special enlightenment that helps us to relive the Gospel of Easter more intensely, to offer it as a ray of light to the men and women of our time.
3. What will the years ahead bring us? What will man's future on earth be like? We are not given to know. However, it is certain that in addition to new progress there will unfortunately be no lack of painful experiences. But the light of divine mercy, which the Lord in a way wished to return to the world through Sr Faustina's charism, will illumine the way for the men and women of the third millennium.
However, as the Apostles once did, today too humanity must welcome into the upper room of history the risen Christ, who shows the wounds of his Crucifixion and repeats: Peace be with you! Humanity must let itself be touched and pervaded by the Spirit given to it by the risen Christ. It is the Spirit who heals the wounds of the heart, pulls down the barriers that separate us from God and divide us from one another, and at the same time, restores the joy of the Father's love and of fraternal unity.
4. It is important then that we accept the whole message that comes to us from the word of God on this Second Sunday of Easter, which from now on throughout the Church will be called "Divine Mercy Sunday". In the various readings, the liturgy seems to indicate the path of mercy which, while re-establishing the relationship of each person with God, also creates new relations of fraternal solidarity among human beings. Christ has taught us that "man not only receives and experiences the mercy of God, but is also called "to practise mercy' towards others: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy' (Mt 5: 7)" (Dives et misericordia, n. 14). He also showed us the many paths of mercy, which not only forgives sins but reaches out to all human needs. Jesus bent over every kind of human poverty, material and spiritual.
His message of mercy continues to reach us through his hands held out to suffering man. This is how Sr Faustina saw him and proclaimed him to people on all the continents when, hidden in her convent at £agiewniki in Kraków, she made her life a hymn to mercy: Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo.
5. Sr Faustina's canonization has a particular eloquence: by this act I intend today to pass this message on to the new millennium. I pass it on to all people, so that they will learn to know ever better the true face of God and the true face of their brethren.
In fact, love of God and love of one's brothers and sisters are inseparable, as the First Letter of John has reminded us: "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments" (5: 2). Here the Apostle reminds us of the truth of love, showing us its measure and criterion in the observance of the commandments.
It is not easy to love with a deep love, which lies in the authentic gift of self. This love can only be learned by penetrating the mystery of God's love. Looking at him, being one with his fatherly heart, we are able to look with new eyes at our brothers and sisters, with an attitude of unselfishness and solidarity, of generosity and forgiveness. All this is mercy!
To the extent that humanity penetrates the mystery of this merciful gaze, it will seem possible to fulfil the ideal we heard in today's first reading: "The community of believers were of one heart and one mind. None of them ever claimed anything as his own; rather everything was held in common" (Acts 4: 32). Here mercy gave form to human relations and community life; it constituted the basis for the sharing of goods. This led to the spiritual and corporal "works of mercy". Here mercy became a concrete way of being "neighbor" to one's neediest brothers and sisters.
6. Sr Faustina Kowalska wrote in her Diary: "I feel tremendous pain when I see the sufferings of my neighbours. All my neighbours' sufferings reverberate in my own heart; I carry their anguish in my heart in such a way that it even physically destroys me. I would like all their sorrows to fall upon me, in order to relieve my neighbour" (Diary, p. 365). This is the degree of compassion to which love leads, when it takes the love of God as its measure!
It is this love which must inspire humanity today, if it is to face the crisis of the meaning of life, the challenges of the most diverse needs and, especially, the duty to defend the dignity of every human person. Thus the message of divine mercy is also implicitly a message about the value of every human being. Each person is precious in God's eyes; Christ gave his life for each one; to everyone the Father gives his Spirit and offers intimacy.
7. This consoling message is addressed above all to those who, afflicted by a particularly harsh trial or crushed by the weight of the sins they committed, have lost all confidence in life and are tempted to give in to despair. To them the gentle face of Christ is offered; those rays from his heart touch them and shine upon them, warm them, show them the way and fill them with hope. How many souls have been consoled by the prayer "Jesus, I trust in you", which Providence intimated through Sr Faustina! This simple act of abandonment to Jesus dispels the thickest clouds and lets a ray of light penetrate every life. Jezu, ufam tobie.
8. Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo (Ps 88 [89]: 2). Let us too, the pilgrim Church, join our voice to the voice of Mary most holy, "Mother of Mercy", to the voice of this new saint who sings of mercy with all God's friends in the heavenly Jerusalem.
And you, Faustina, a gift of God to our time, a gift from the land of Poland to the whole Church, obtain for us an awareness of the depth of divine mercy; help us to have a living experience of it and to bear witness to it among our brothers and sisters. May your message of light and hope spread throughout the world, spurring sinners to conversion, calming rivalries and hatred and opening individuals and nations to the practice of brotherhood. Today, fixing our gaze with you on the face of the risen Christ, let us make our own your prayer of trusting abandonment and say with firm hope: Christ Jesus, I trust in you! Jezu, ufam tobie
| Luke | |||
| English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
| Luke 10 |
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| 25. | And behold a certain lawyer stood up, tempting him, and saying, Master, what must I do to possess eternal life? | Et ecce quidam legisperitus surrexit tentans illum, et dicens : Magister, quid faciendo vitam æternam possidebo ? | και ιδου νομικος τις ανεστη εκπειραζων αυτον και λεγων διδασκαλε τι ποιησας ζωην αιωνιον κληρονομησω |
| 26. | But he said to him: What is written in the law? how readest thou? | At ille dixit ad eum : In lege quid scriptum est ? quomodo legis ? | ο δε ειπεν προς αυτον εν τω νομω τι γεγραπται πως αναγινωσκεις |
| 27. | He answering, said: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as thyself. | Ille respondens dixit : Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, et ex tota anima tua, et ex omnibus virtutibus tuis, et ex omni mente tua : et proximum tuum sicut teipsum. | ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αγαπησεις κυριον τον θεον σου εξ ολης της καρδιας σου και εξ ολης της ψυχης σου και εξ ολης της ισχυος σου και εξ ολης της διανοιας σου και τον πλησιον σου ως σεαυτον |
| 28. | And he said to him: Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. | Dixitque illi : Recte respondisti : hoc fac, et vives. | ειπεν δε αυτω ορθως απεκριθης τουτο ποιει και ζηση |
| 29. | But he willing to justify himself, said to Jesus: And who is my neighbour? | Ille autem volens justificare seipsum, dixit ad Jesum : Et quis est meus proximus ? | ο δε θελων δικαιουν εαυτον ειπεν προς τον ιησουν και τις εστιν μου πλησιον |
| 30. | And Jesus answering, said: A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who also stripped him, and having wounded him went away, leaving him half dead. | Suscipiens autem Jesus, dixit : Homo quidam descendebat ab Jerusalem in Jericho, et incidit in latrones, qui etiam despoliaverunt eum : et plagis impositis abierunt semivivo relicto. | υπολαβων δε ο ιησους ειπεν ανθρωπος τις κατεβαινεν απο ιερουσαλημ εις ιεριχω και λησταις περιεπεσεν οι και εκδυσαντες αυτον και πληγας επιθεντες απηλθον αφεντες ημιθανη τυγχανοντα |
| 31. | And it chanced, that a certain priest went down the same way: and seeing him, passed by. | Accidit autem ut sacerdos quidam descenderet eadem via : et viso illo præterivit. | κατα συγκυριαν δε ιερευς τις κατεβαινεν εν τη οδω εκεινη και ιδων αυτον αντιπαρηλθεν |
| 32. | In like manner also a Levite, when he was near the place and saw him, passed by. | Similiter et Levita, cum esset secus locum, et videret eum, pertransiit. | ομοιως δε και λευιτης γενομενος κατα τον τοπον ελθων και ιδων αντιπαρηλθεν |
| 33. | But a certain Samaritan being on his journey, came near him; and seeing him, was moved with compassion. | Samaritanus autem quidam iter faciens, venit secus eum : et videns eum, misericordia motus est. | σαμαρειτης δε τις οδευων ηλθεν κατ αυτον και ιδων αυτον εσπλαγχνισθη |
| 34. | And going up to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine: and setting him upon his own beast, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. | Et appropians alligavit vulnera ejus, infundens oleum et vinum : et imponens illum in jumentum suum, duxit in stabulum, et curam ejus egit. | και προσελθων κατεδησεν τα τραυματα αυτου επιχεων ελαιον και οινον επιβιβασας δε αυτον επι το ιδιον κτηνος ηγαγεν αυτον εις πανδοχειον και επεμεληθη αυτου |
| 35. | And the next day he took out two pence, and gave to the host, and said: Take care of him; and whatsoever thou shalt spend over and above, I, at my return, will repay thee. | Et altera die protulit duos denarios, et dedit stabulario, et ait : Curam illius habe : et quodcumque supererogaveris, ego cum rediero reddam tibi. | και επι την αυριον εξελθων εκβαλων δυο δηναρια εδωκεν τω πανδοχει και ειπεν αυτω επιμεληθητι αυτου και ο τι αν προσδαπανησης εγω εν τω επανερχεσθαι με αποδωσω σοι |
| 36. | Which of these three, in thy opinion, was neighbour to him that fell among the robbers? | Quis horum trium videtur tibi proximus fuisse illi, qui incidit in latrones ? | τις ουν τουτων των τριων πλησιον δοκει σοι γεγονεναι του εμπεσοντος εις τους ληστας |
| 37. | But he said: He that shewed mercy to him. And Jesus said to him: Go, and do thou in like manner. | At ille dixit : Qui fecit misericordiam in illum. Et ait illi Jesus : Vade, et tu fac similiter. | ο δε ειπεν ο ποιησας το ελεος μετ αυτου ειπεν ουν αυτω ο ιησους πορευου και συ ποιει ομοιως |
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