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Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 10-18-09, Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 10-18-09 | New American Bible

Posted on 10/17/2009 9:38:12 PM PDT by Salvation

October 18, 2009

                            Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
 
 

Reading 1
Is 53:10-11

The LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.

If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.

Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness
of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.


Responsorial Psalm
Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22

R. (22)Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.


Reading II
Heb 4:14-16

Brothers and sisters:
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.


Gospel
Mk 10:35-45 or 10:42-45

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him,
"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."
He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?"
They answered him, "Grant that in your glory
we may sit one at your right and the other at your left."
Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the cup that I drink
or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"
They said to him, "We can."
Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink,
and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;
but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared."
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.
Jesus summoned them and said to them,
"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

or

Jesus summoned the twelve and said to them,
"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

 


TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; catholiclist; ordinarytime
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To: All



The Angelus 

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: 
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen. 

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. 

Hail Mary . . . 

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. 

Hail Mary . . . 


Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray: 

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen. 


21 posted on 10/17/2009 10:39:14 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Please Pray for the Unborn
 
Take part in praying
in front of a
Planned Parenthood Clinic.
 
 

22 posted on 10/17/2009 10:40:40 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Office of Readings and Invitatory Psalm

Office of Readings

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

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


A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 1
The two paths
The cross of the Lord is the tree of life for us.
Blessed the man who does not follow the counsels of the wicked,
  or stand in the paths that sinners use,
or sit in the gatherings of those who mock:
  his delight is the law of the Lord,
  he ponders his law day and night.
He is like a tree planted by flowing waters,
  that will give its fruit in due time,
  whose leaves will not fade.
All that he does will prosper.
Not thus are the wicked, not thus.
  They are like the dust blown by the wind.
At the time of judgement the wicked will not stand,
  nor sinners in the council of the just.
For the Lord knows the path of the just;
  but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
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.
The cross of the Lord is the tree of life for us.

Psalm 2
The Messiah, king and victor
I have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain.
Why are the nations in a ferment?
  Why do the people make their vain plans?
The kings of the earth have risen up;
  the leaders have united against the Lord,
  against his anointed.
“Let us break their chains, that bind us;
  let us throw off their yoke from our shoulders!”
The Lord laughs at them,
  he who lives in the heavens derides them.
Then he speaks to them in his anger;
  in his fury he throws them into confusion:
“But I – I have set up my king on Zion,
my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the Lord’s decrees.
The Lord has said to me: “You are my son: today I have begotten you.
  Ask me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance,
  the ends of the earth for you to possess.
You will rule them with a rod of iron,
  break them in pieces like an earthen pot.”
So now, kings, listen: understand, you who rule the land.
  Serve the Lord in fear, tremble even as you praise him.
Learn his teaching, lest he take anger,
  lest you perish when his anger bursts into flame.
Blessed are all who put their trust in the Lord.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
  world without end.
Amen.
I have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain.

Psalm 3
The Lord is my protector
O my God, you have come to my help.
Lord, how many they are, my attackers!
  So many rise up against me, so many of them say:
  “He can hope for no help from the Lord.”
But you, Lord, are my protector, my glory:
  you raise up my head.
I called to the Lord,
  and from his holy mountain he heard my voice.
I fell asleep, and slept;
  but I rose, for the Lord raised me up.
I will not fear when the people surround me in their thousands.
  Rise up, O Lord;
  bring me to safety, my God.
Those who attacked me – you struck them on the jaw,
  you shattered their teeth.
Salvation comes from the Lord:
  Lord, your blessing is upon your people.
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.
O my God, you have come to my help.

May the word of the Lord find a true home in you.
Teach and advise one another in all wisdom.

Reading Esther 1:1-3,9-13,15-16,19,2:5-10,16-17 ©
It was in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus whose empire stretched from India to Ethiopia and comprised one hundred and twenty-seven provinces. In those days, when King Ahasuerus was sitting on his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, in the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet at his court for all his administrators and ministers, chiefs of the army of Persia and Media, nobles and governors of provinces.
  Queen Vashti, too, had given a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Ahasuerus.
  On the seventh day, when the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs in attendance on the person of King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen Vashti before the king crowned with her royal diadem, in order to display her beauty to the people and the administrators, for she was very beautiful.
  But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. The king was very angry at this and his rage grew hot. He then consulted the wise men who were versed in the law, since it was the practice to refer matters affecting the king to expert lawyers and jurists. ‘According to law,’ he said ‘what is to be done to Queen Vashti for not obeying the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?’
  In the presence of the king and of the administrators Memucan answered, ‘Vashti has wronged not only the king, but also all the administrators and nations inhabiting the provinces of King Ahasuerus. The queen’s conduct will soon become known to all the women and encourage them in a contemptuous attitude towards their husbands, since they will say, “King Ahasuerus ordered Queen Vashti to appear before him and she did not come.” The wives of all the Persian and Median administrators will hear of the queen’s answer before the day is out, and will start talking to the king’s administrators in the same way; that will mean contempt and anger all round. If it is the king’s pleasure, let him issue a royal edict, to be irrevocably incorporated into the laws of the Persians and Medes, to the effect that Vashti is never to appear again before King Ahasuerus, and let the king confer her royal dignity on a worthier woman.
  Now in the citadel of Susa there lived a Jew called Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who had been deported from Jerusalem among the captives taken away with Jeconiah king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He had brought up Hadassah, otherwise called Esther, his uncle’s daughter, who had lost both father and mother; the girl had a good figure and a beautiful face, and on the death of her parents Mordecai had adopted her as his daughter.
  Following the promulgation of the king’s edict, a great number of girls were brought to the citadel of Susa where they were entrusted to Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, the custodian of the women. The girl pleased him and won his favour. Not only did he quickly provide her with all she needed for her dressing room and her meals, but he gave her seven special maids from the king’s household and transferred her and her maids to the best part of the harem. Esther did not reveal her race or kindred, since Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. She was brought to King Ahasuerus in his royal palace in the tenth month, which is called Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign; and the king liked Esther better than any of the other women; none of the other girls found so much favour and approval with him. So he set the royal diadem on her head and proclaimed her queen instead of Vashti.

Reading A letter to Proba by St Augustine
Let us exercise our desire in prayer
Why in our fear of not praying as we should, do we turn to so many things, to find what we should pray for? Why do we not say instead, in the words of the psalm: I have asked one thing from the Lord, this is what I will seek: to dwell in the Lord’s house all the days of my life, to see the graciousness of the Lord, and to visit his temple? There, the days do not come and go in succession, and the beginning of one day does not mean the end of another; all days are one, simultaneously and without end, and the life lived out in these days has itself no end.
  So that we might obtain this life of happiness, he who is true life itself taught us to pray, not in many words as though speaking longer could gain us a hearing. After all, we pray to one who, as the Lord himself tells us, knows what we need before we ask for it.
  Why he should ask us to pray, when he knows what we need before we ask him, may perplex us if we do not realise that our Lord and God does not want to know what we want (for he cannot fail to know it), but wants us rather to exercise our desire through our prayers, so that we may be able to receive what he is preparing to give us. His gift is very great indeed, but our capacity is too small and limited to receive it. That is why we are told: Enlarge your desires, do not bear the yoke with unbelievers.
  The deeper our faith, the stronger our hope, the greater our desire, the larger will be our capacity to receive that gift, which is very great indeed. No eye has seen it; it has no colour. No ear has heard it; it has no sound. It has not entered man’s heart; man’s heart must enter into it.
  In this faith, hope and love we pray always with unwearied desire. However, at set times and seasons we also pray to God in words, so that by these signs we may instruct ourselves and mark the progress we have made in our desire, and spur ourselves on to deepen it. The more fervent the desire, the more worthy will be its fruit. When the Apostle tells us: Pray without ceasing, he means this: Desire unceasingly that life of happiness which is nothing if not eternal, and ask it of him who alone is able to give it.

Hymn Te Deum
God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you!
You, the Father, the eternal –
all the earth venerates you.
All the angels, all the heavens, every power –
The cherubim, the seraphim –
unceasingly, they cry:
“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts:
heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!”
The glorious choir of Apostles –
The noble ranks of prophets –
The shining army of martyrs –
all praise you.
Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you.
– Father of immeasurable majesty,
– True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship,
– Holy Spirit, our Advocate.
You, Christ:
– You are the king of glory.
– You are the Father’s eternal Son.
– You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb.
– You defeated the sharp spear of Death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you.
– You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father.
– You will come, so we believe, as our Judge.
And so we ask of you: give help to your servants, whom you set free at the price of your precious blood.
Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory.
Bring your people to safety, Lord, and bless those who are your inheritance.
Rule them and lift them high for ever.
Day by day we bless you, Lord: we praise you for ever and for ever.
Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.
Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you.
In you, Lord, I trust: let me never be put to shame.

Concluding Prayer
Almighty and ever-living God,
  make us devoted to doing your will
  and serving you in your majesty with sincere hearts.
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.

23 posted on 10/18/2009 8:59:26 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: October 18, 2009
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Father, you chose Luke the evangelist to reveal by preaching and writing the mystery of your love for the poor. Unite in one heart and spirit all who glory in your name, and let all nations come to see your salvation. 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.

Twenty-Ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time Old Calendar: Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost

And James and John, the sons of Zeb'edee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" (Mk 10:35-38).


Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, 53:10-11, and is the conclusion of the fourth Suffering Servant Song; Christ's divine gifts become our means to salvation.

The second reading is from the Letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews 4:14-16 and discusses how Christ, our high priest, is greater than the priests of the Mosaic Law. Our confidence is based on Christ's high priesthood. He is the perfect priest because He is merciful and compassionate. As man, He has experienced the sufferings that affect us, although He was free from sin. Since He knows our weaknesses so well, He can give us the help we need, and when He comes to judge us, He will take that weakness into account. We should respond to the Lord's goodness by staying true to our profession of faith. A Christian needs to live up to all the demands of his calling; he should be single-minded and free from doubts.

The Gospel is from St. Mark, 10:35-45. Our own natural inclination most likely would be to react like the other ten Apostles and become vexed with James and John and to tell them what we thought of their selfish worldly ambitions. However, our Lord's gentle answer: "you do not know what you are asking" shows us that ignorance of the nature of the kingdom he was going to set up, was the cause of their very human ambitions. They, with the other Apostles, had still the common Jewish idea of the messianic kingdom. They thought the Messiah—and they were now convinced that Jesus was the promised Messiah—would set up a political kingdom in Palestine, oust the pagan Romans and eventually extend his kingdom to all nations. That this kingdom he would set up would be universal, extending to all nations, was indicated in almost all the messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, but that this kingdom would be spiritual, not political, was not grasped by most of Christ's contemporaries including the Apostles.

Jesus, knowing that his Apostles still had this wrong idea, was gentle with James and John. He took this opportunity to tell them that he would set up a glorious kingdom but that his sufferings and death would be a necessary prelude to its establishment. He had already referred to his sufferings and death three times, but the mention fell on deaf ears. Their argument was: how could he suffer death when he has still to establish his earthly kingdom? The truth in fact was that it was by means of his sufferings and death that he would establish his glorious kingdom. He challenged the two Apostles then to know if they were willing to pay the price for a high place in his glorious kingdom: were they prepared to follow him through suffering and death? He accepted their affirmation, knowing it to be true, but told them their position of honor depended on his Father's decision. Once they realized the nature of his glorious kingdom they would be the last to look for positions of honor in it.

While no Christian today thinks that Christ came on earth in order to make us wealthy, happy and prosperous during our few years on earth, there are, unfortunately, many Christians who are unwilling to accept Christ's teaching that the way to heavenly glory is the way of the cross. "All this and heaven too" is their motto. It would, of course, be marvelous if all our days on earth were days of peace, happiness and prosperity to be followed by eternal happiness when we "shuffle off this mortal coil." But any man who has the use of reason sees that our world is inhabited by weak, sin-inclined and usually sinful mortals, himself included-weak mortals who can and do disturb the peace and harmony that could regulate our mortal lives. There are "accidents" on our roads and highways every day of the year, frequently causing death or grave injury to hundreds. The rules of the road, if kept by all, would prevent ninety-nine percent of such accidents—the other one percent are caused by mechanical failure. Would any man be so naive as to expect that we could have even one day free from car accidents?

Because man has a free-will, he is liable to abuse it by choosing what is sinful and wrong. Most of the crosses and trials we meet in life are caused by violations—by ourselves and others—of the rules of life and the laws of charity and justice. To prevent this abuse of free-will, God would have to deprive men of that essential gift which, with his intellect, makes him a man. Likewise, we could prevent all road accidents by removing the steering wheels from cars but then we would have no cars. Let us face the fact, almost all the hardships and sufferings which we have to bear in life, are caused by the unjust and uncharitable actions of our fellowmen and even God himself, following his own wise pattern of life for men on earth, cannot prevent such evil actions.

Would God want to prevent all such injustices and all this inhumanity of man toward his fellowman? Not that he approves of it, much less causes it, but can he not have a purpose in permitting it? How would we, his children on earth, earn heaven if this world were an earthly paradise? What loving father would keep his children from school because they found it a hardship, and when they could be so happy playing at home all day and every day? School is absolutely necessary for those children's future, and it is because fathers are truly kind to their children that they compel them to undergo this temporary hardship. God is the kindest of fathers. He wants us all in heaven. He has mapped out the road which will lead us there. He allows these hardships to come our way so that we can prepare for our real future life.

With James and John, let us tell our divine Lord that we are ready to follow him on the path to Calvary; that we are ready to drink the cup of sufferings which he drank and to be immersed in the sorrows which he endured. He went through all of this for us; we are doing it for our own sakes. He carried the real cross—ours is light when compared with his; furthermore, he will help us to bear our daily trial and struggles. How could any Christian become weary and fainthearted when he has Christ helping him on the road?

Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.


24 posted on 10/18/2009 9:12:43 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

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

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


A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 62 (63)
Thirsting for God
O God, I watch for you from the dawn, to see your mighty power.
O God, you are my God, I watch for you from the dawn.
My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you.
I came to your sanctuary,
  as one in a parched and waterless land,
  so that I could see your might and your glory.
My lips will praise you, for your mercy is better than life itself.
Thus I will bless you throughout my life,
  and raise my hands in prayer to your name;
my soul will be filled as if by rich food,
  and my mouth will sing your praises and rejoice.
I will remember you as I lie in bed,
  I will think of you in the morning,
for you have been my helper,
  and I will take joy in the protection of your wings.
My soul clings to you; your right hand raises me up.
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.
O God, I watch for you from the dawn, to see your mighty power.

Canticle Daniel 3
All creatures, bless the Lord
The three youths in the fiery furnace shouted with one voice: ‘Blessed be God, alleluia.’
Bless the Lord, all his works,
  praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you heavens;
  all his angels, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, you waters above the heavens;
  all his powers, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, sun and moon;
  all stars of the sky, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, rain and dew;
  all you winds, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, fire and heat;
  cold and warmth, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, dew and frost;
  ice and cold, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, ice and snow;
  day and night, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, light and darkness;
  lightning and storm-clouds, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, all the earth,
  praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, mountains and hills;
  all growing things, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, seas and rivers;
  springs and fountains, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, whales and fish;
  birds of the air, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, wild beasts and tame;
  sons of men, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, O Israel,
  praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, his priests;
  all his servants, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the just;
  all who are holy and humble, bless the Lord.
Ananias, Azarias, Mishael, bless the Lord,
  praise and exalt him for ever.
Let us bless Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
  praise and exalt them for ever.
Bless the Lord in the firmament of heaven,
  praise and glorify him for ever.
The three youths in the fiery furnace shouted with one voice: ‘Blessed be God, alleluia.’

Psalm 149
The saints rejoice
Let the sons of Zion delight in their king.
Sing a new song to the Lord,
  his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker,
  and the sons of Zion delight in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing,
  sing to him with timbrel and lyre,
for the Lord’s favour is upon his people,
  and he will honour the humble with victory.
Let the faithful celebrate his glory,
  rejoice even in their beds,
the praise of God in their throats;
  and swords ready in their hands,
to exact vengeance upon the nations,
  impose punishment on the peoples,
to bind their kings in fetters
  and their nobles in manacles of iron,
to carry out the sentence that has been passed:
  this is the glory prepared for all his faithful.
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.
Let the sons of Zion delight in their king.

Short reading Apocalypse 7:10,12 ©
Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.

Canticle Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all.
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.
Anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all.

Prayers and Intercessions ?
Christ the Lord is our day and our sunlight, shining on all men and never setting. Let us praise him, saying:
O Lord, you are our life and our salvation!
Creator of the stars, we offer you in gratitude the first-fruits of this day,
  and we commemorate your resurrection.
O Lord, you are our life and our salvation!
May your Spirit guide us today to do what is pleasing to you:
  may your Wisdom lead us always.
O Lord, you are our life and our salvation!
Let us join together with joy at Mass this Sunday,
  at the table of your word and your Body and Blood.
O Lord, you are our life and our salvation!
Our souls give you thanks
  for your immeasurable kindness.
O Lord, you are our life and our salvation!

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.

Almighty and ever-living God,
  make us devoted to doing your will
  and serving you in your majesty with sincere hearts.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
  who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
  God for ever and ever.
Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.
A M E N

25 posted on 10/18/2009 2:33:30 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
The Word Among Us

Meditation: Hebrews 4:14-16

Let us confidently approach the throne of grace. (Hebrews 4:16)

“Can you come to my birthday party?” “I have two tickets to the game; can you make it?” “We’re going on a boat trip next week. Do you want to join us?” We all love to receive invitations, and here is one that is hard to refuse: “Can you come to the throne of grace?”

Every day, God invites us to come and receive gifts from him. Today’s reading from Hebrews mentions specifically the gifts of mercy and help in time of need, but God’s invitation includes a much wider array of gifts than the ones we seek at crisis points. Every day, he wants to give us gifts like peace, encouragement, hope, joy, grace to forgive, and insights into his path for our lives. There is no end to the gifts God wants to give us!

If God is so generous, and if his invitation is so warm and open, why do we hesitate? Could it be fear? In the ancient Near East, it was often considered dangerous to approach the throne of a king. The Book of Esther reflects a Persian tradition that daring even to come into the king’s presence could lead to death (Esther 4:11). Certainly God is more awe inspiring and fearsome than an earthly emperor! It’s instructive that the warning didn’t stop Esther: She took the risk in order to intercede for her people. And the king heard her, granted her request, and even raised her above all other people.

This is how it will be for us when we accept God’s invitation and place ourselves in his presence. He will put his arms around us, draw us to himself, and ask us what we need. Then, with a knowing smile on his face, he will open his box of treasures and give us exactly the right gifts—even gifts we didn’t think we needed.

So what are you waiting for? On this day of sabbath blessing, don’t be afraid to approach Almighty God. He is your Father!

“Lord, I come to your throne with confidence, knowing that I can ask you for gifts of grace to help me today.”

Isaiah 53:10-11; Psalm 33:4-5,18-20,22; Mark 10:35-45


26 posted on 10/18/2009 2:44:55 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
Mark
  English: Douay-Rheims Latin: Vulgata Clementina Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
  Mark 10
35 And James and John the sons of Zebedee, come to him, saying: Master, we desire that whatsoever we shall ask, thou wouldst do it for us: Et accedunt ad eum Jacobus et Joannes filii Zebedæi, dicentes : Magister, volumus ut quodcumque petierimus, facias nobis. και προσπορευονται αυτω ιακωβος και ιωαννης οι υιοι ζεβεδαιου λεγοντες διδασκαλε θελομεν ινα ο εαν αιτησωμεν ποιησης ημιν
36 But he said to them: What would you that I should do for you? At ille dixit eis : Quid vultis ut faciam vobis ? ο δε ειπεν αυτοις τι θελετε ποιησαι με υμιν
37 And they said: Grant to us, that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. Et dixerunt : Da nobis ut unus ad dexteram tuam, et alius ad sinistram tuam sedeamus in gloria tua. οι δε ειπον αυτω δος ημιν ινα εις εκ δεξιων σου και εις εξ ευωνυμων σου καθισωμεν εν τη δοξη σου
38 And Jesus said to them: You know not what you ask. Can you drink of the chalice that I drink of: or be baptized with the baptism wherewith I am baptized? Jesus autem ait eis : Nescitis quid petatis : potestis bibere calicem, quem ego bibo, aut baptismo, quo ego baptizor, baptizari ? ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτοις ουκ οιδατε τι αιτεισθε δυνασθε πιειν το ποτηριον ο εγω πινω και το βαπτισμα ο εγω βαπτιζομαι βαπτισθηναι
39 But they said to him: We can. And Jesus saith to them: You shall indeed drink of the chalice that I drink of: and with the baptism wherewith I am baptized, you shall be baptized. At illi dixerunt ei : Possumus. Jesus autem ait eis : Calicem quidem, quem ego bibo, bibetis ; et baptismo, quo ego baptizor, baptizabimini : οι δε ειπον αυτω δυναμεθα ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτοις το μεν ποτηριον ο εγω πινω πιεσθε και το βαπτισμα ο εγω βαπτιζομαι βαπτισθησεσθε
40 But to sit on my right hand, or on my left, is not mine to give to you, but to them for whom it is prepared. sedere autem ad dexteram meam, vel ad sinistram, non est meum dare vobis, sed quibus paratum est. το δε καθισαι εκ δεξιων μου και εξ ευωνυμων ουκ εστιν εμον δουναι αλλ οις ητοιμασται
41 And the ten hearing it, began to be much displeased at James and John. Et audientes decem, cœperunt indignari de Jacobo et Joanne. και ακουσαντες οι δεκα ηρξαντο αγανακτειν περι ιακωβου και ιωαννου
42 But Jesus calling them, saith to them: You know that they who seem to rule over the Gentiles, lord it over them: and their princes have power over them. Jesus autem vocans eos, ait illis : Scitis quia hi, qui videntur principari gentibus, dominantur eis : et principes eorum potestatem habent ipsorum. ο δε ιησους προσκαλεσαμενος αυτους λεγει αυτοις οιδατε οτι οι δοκουντες αρχειν των εθνων κατακυριευουσιν αυτων και οι μεγαλοι αυτων κατεξουσιαζουσιν αυτων
43 But it is not so among you: but whosoever will be greater, shall be your minister. Non ita est autem in vobis, sed quicumque voluerit fieri major, erit vester minister : ουχ ουτως δε εσται εν υμιν αλλ ος εαν θελη γενεσθαι μεγας εν υμιν εσται υμων διακονος
44 And whosoever will be first among you, shall be the servant of all. et quicumque voluerit in vobis primus esse, erit omnium servus. και ος εαν θελη υμων γενεσθαι πρωτος εσται παντων δουλος
45 For the Son of man also is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a redemption for many. Nam et Filius hominis non venit ut ministraretur ei, sed ut ministraret, et daret animam suam redemptionem pro multis. και γαρ ο υιος του ανθρωπου ουκ ηλθεν διακονηθηναι αλλα διακονησαι και δουναι την ψυχην αυτου λυτρον αντι πολλων

27 posted on 10/18/2009 4:47:16 PM PDT by annalex (http://www.catecheticsonline.com/CatenaAurea.php)
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To: annalex
35. And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come to him, saying, Master, we would that you should do for us whatsoever we shall desire.
36. And he said to them, What would you that I should do for you?
37. They said to him, Grant to us that we may sit, one on your right hand, and the other on your left hand, in your glory.
38. But Jesus said to them, You know not what you ask: can you drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
39. And they said to him, We can. And Jesus said to them, You shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall you be baptized:
40. But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.

CHRYS. The disciples hearing Christ oftentimes speaking of His kingdom, thought that this kingdom was to be before His death, and therefore now that His death was foretold to them, they came to Him, that they might immediately be made worthy of the honors of the kingdom: wherefore it is said, And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him, saying, Master, we would that you should do for us whatever we shall desire.

For ashamed of the human weakness which they felt, they came to Christ, taking Him apart from the disciples; but our Savior, not from ignorance of what they wanted to ask, but from a wish of making them answer Him, puts this question to them; And he said to them, What would you that I should do for you?

THEOPHYL. Now the above mentioned disciples thought that He was going up to Jerusalem, to reign there, and then to suffer what He had foretold. And with these thoughts, they desired to sit on the right and the left hand; wherefore there follows, They said to him, Grant to us that we may sit, one on your right hand, the other on your left hand, in the glory.

AUG. Matthew has expressed that this was said not by themselves, but by their mother, since she brought their wishes to the Lord; wherefore Mark briefly implies rather that they themselves, than that their mother, had used the words.

CHRYS. Or we may fitly say that both took place; for seeing themselves honored above the rest, they thought that they could easily obtain the foregoing petition; and that they might the more easily succeed in their request, they took their mother with them, that they might pray to Christ together with her.

AUG. Then the Lord both according to Mark, and too Matthew, answered them rather than their mother. For it goes on, But Jesus said to them, You know not what you ask.

THEOPHYL. It will not be as you think, that I am to reign as a temporal king in Jerusalem, but all these things, that is, these which belong to My kingdom, are beyond your understanding; for to sit on My right hand is so great a thing that it surpasses the Angelic orders.

BEDE; Or else, they know not what they ask, who seek from the Lord a seat of glory, which they do not yet merit.

CHRYS. Or else He says, You know not what you ask; as if He said, You speak of honors, but I am discoursing of wrestlings and toil; for this is not a time of rewards, but of blood, of battles, and dangers. Wherefore He adds, Can you drink of the cup that I drink of, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized withal? He draws them on by way of question, that by communication with Himself, their eagerness might increase.

THEOPHYL. But by the cup and baptism, He means the cross; the cup, that is, as being a potion by Him sweetly received, but baptism is the cause of the cleansing of our sins. And they answer Him, without understanding what He had said; wherefore it goes on: And they said to him, We can; for they thought that He spoke of a visible cup, and of the baptism of which the Jews made use, that is, the washings before their meals.

CHRYS. And they answered thus quickly, because they expected that what they had asked would he listened to; it goes on: And Jesus said to them, You shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of, and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall you be baptized; that is, you shall be worthy of martyrdom, and suffer even as I.

BEDE; A question is raised, however, how James and John drank the cup of martyrdom, or how they were baptized with the baptism of the Lord, when the Scripture relates, that only James the Apostle was beheaded by Herod whilst John finished his life by a natural death. But if we read ecclesiastical histories, in which it is related, that he also on account of the witness which he bore was cast into a cauldron of burning oil, and was immediately sent away to the island of Patmos, we shall then see that the spirit of martyrdom was in him, and that John drank the cup of confession, which the Three Children also drank in the furnace of fire, though the persecutor did not spill their blood. It goes on: But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.

CHRYS. Where two questions are raised, one is, whether a seat on His right hand is prepared for any one; the other, whether the Lord of all has it not in His power to give it to those for whom it is prepared. To the first then we say, that no one sits on His right hand or on His left, for that throne is inaccessible to a creature. How then did He say, To sit on my right hand or on my left is not mine to give you, as though it belonged to some who were to sit there? He however answers the thoughts of those who asked Him, condescending to their meaning; for they did not know that lofty throne and seat, which is on the right hand of the Father, but sought one thing alone, that is, to possess the chief place, and to be set Over others. And since they had heard it said of the Apostles, that they were to sit on twelve thrones, they begged for a place higher than all the rest, not knowing what was said.

To the second question we must say, that such a gift does not transcend the power of the Son of God, but what is said by Matthew, it is prepared by My Father, is the same as if it were said, "by Me" wherefore also Mark did not say here, by My Father. What therefore Christ says here is this, you shall die, he says, for Me, but this is not enough to enable you to obtain the highest place, for if another person comes possessing besides martyrdom all other virtues, he will possess much more than you; for the chief place is prepared for those, who by works are enabled to become the first. Thus then the Lord instructed them not to trouble themselves vainly and absurdly for high places; at the same time He would not have Him made sad.

BEDE; Or else, it is not mine to give to you, that is, to proud persons, for such as yet they were. It is prepared for other persons, and be you other, that is, lowly, and it is prepared for you.

41. And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.
42. But Jesus called them to him, and said to them, you know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
43. But so shall it not be among you: hut whoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
44. And whoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
45. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

THEOPHYL. The other Apostles are indignant at seeing James and John seeking for honor; wherefore it is said, And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John. For being influenced by human feeling, they were moved with envy; and their first displeasure arose from their seeing that they were not taken up by the Lord; before that time they were not displeased, because they saw that they themselves were honored before other men. At this time the Apostles were thus imperfect, but afterwards they yielded the chief place one to another.

Christ however cures them; first indeed by drawing them to Himself in order to comfort them; and his is meant, when it is said, But Jesus called them to him; then by showing them that to usurp honor, and to desire the chief place, belongs to Gentiles. Wherefore there follows: And said to them, you know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship; and their great ones exercise authority over them. The great ones of the Gentiles thrust themselves into the chief place tyrannically and as lords. It goes on: But so shall it not be among you.

BEDE; In which He teaches, that he is the greater, who is the less, and that he becomes the lord, who is servant of all: vain, therefore, was it both for the one party to seek for immoderate things, and the other to be annoyed at their desiring greater things, since we are to arrive at the height of virtue not by power but by humility. Then He proposes an example, that if they lightly regarded His words, His deeds might make them ashamed, saying, For even the Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

THEOPHYL. Which is a greater thing than to minister. For what can be greater or more wonderful than that a man should die for him to whom he ministers?

Nevertheless, this serving and condescension of humility was His glory, and that of all; for before He was made man, He was known only to the Angels; but now that lie has become man and has been crucified, He not only has glory Himself; but also has taken up others to a participation in His glory, and ruled by faith over the whole world.

BEDE; He did not say, however, that He gave His life as a ransom for all, but for many, that is, for those who would believe on Him.

Catena Aurea Mark 10
28 posted on 10/18/2009 4:47:43 PM PDT by annalex (http://www.catecheticsonline.com/CatenaAurea.php)
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To: annalex


The Crucifixion

Paolo Veneziano

c. 1340
Tempera on panel, 31,8 x 37,5 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington

29 posted on 10/18/2009 4:48:19 PM PDT by annalex (http://www.catecheticsonline.com/CatenaAurea.php)
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To: All

The Throne of Mercy and Grace

Pastor’s Column

29th Sunday Ordinary Time

October 18, 2009 

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,

but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. 

So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy

 and find grace for timely help.

                                                Hebrews 4:14-16 

          Who among us has not wondered about the meaning of suffering in our lives?  Does God really care about me?  Our God is not merely an innocent bystander, watching the events of the world unfold while sitting in the bleachers.  No, he himself has entered the arena of this world, just as we are now, and had a full plate of suffering, though without sin, in the person of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. 

          Consistently throughout the New Testament we find that the people who hang around with Jesus, those who approach Jesus, those who accept his message are precisely those who have been through some kind of suffering in their lives.  Those who were self-satisfied and had no need for a savior were, after all, the ones who ultimately crucified Jesus! 

          Where then do we find the throne of grace and mercy, that we might approach it?  The throne of grace and mercy is nothing less than the wounds of Jesus Christ.  It is not incidental that the first thing Christ does after manifesting himself to the disciples after the resurrection of the dead is to show the disciples his wounds!   

          When you find yourself questioning whether or not God really loves you, gaze at a crucifix, and look at the wounds of God.  He suffered these things out of love for YOU.  If you have been falsely accused or hurt in love, if you have ever been in a relationship that has wounded you deeply in the heart, or if you have lost a loved one and questioned God’s love for you, gaze on the Sacred Heart of Christ. 

          The Sacred Heart is pierced by a sword and crowned with thorns.  The crucifix shows the five wounds of Christ very clearly.  Here we come to know that the Lord not only understands my pain, but has suffered with me.  Christ is not a disinterested bystander in our lives, but a fellow-sufferer. 

          Because of this, we are confident that when we approach the throne of grace and mercy in confession, we know that Christ will forgive us.  We know that he will be there for us; whatever we have given to him in this sacrament will not be held against us on the last day of our lives, and that is love indeed.

                                                                                      Father Gary


30 posted on 10/18/2009 5:10:58 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Faith and Family Live!

Infection of Hope

 

(In this weekly column, Tom and April Hoopes share family-friendly ways of observing the liturgical year and celebrating the Sunday readings.)

Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, is the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time and World Mission Sunday.

World Mission Sunday

In his remarks for Mission Sunday 2009, Pope Benedict XVI said a few startling things.

First, he made it clear that no generation is off the hook regarding the need to evangelize. Certainly not ours: “In truth, the whole of humanity has the radical vocation to return to its source, to return to God, since in him alone can it find accomplishment through the restoration of all things in Christ.” Christianity is not a religion meant for a few — it’s God’s answer meant for all his people, and it’s our job to spread it.

Spread it how? The Holy Father used an image for evangelization that is very timely, with H1N1 (swine flu) in the air: “The Church’s mission is to ‘infect’ all peoples with hope.” We can only “infect” people with what we already have, of course. So the first job of Mission Sunday is to “catch” hope. Families need to find transmitters of this hope in order to catch it and spread it to the world.

The Register is one — spreading hope is its mission. Good Catholic schools like Benedictine College, where I work now, are others. This column exists to point out more.

Readings

Isaiah 53:10-11; Psalms 33:4-5, 18-20, 22; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45 or 10:42-45

Our Take

Today’s readings tell the story of the value of suffering. The first reading from Isaiah tells of the one whom the “Lord was pleased” to “crush in his infirmity.” We learn that “through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear.”

It seems like a terrible way to treat a VIP, but this is precisely how God does treat those who are his most important representatives. James and John found this out directly. In today’s Gospel, they approach Jesus and ask to be given places of honor, at his left and right, when he is “in his glory.”

In other words, when the victory has been won and Christ comes back to claim his prize, they want to be stars of the show. They don’t talk about earning their way there. They don’t talk about justifying their presence there with a record of winning souls. They just want to make sure they get good places.

Imagine if Christ said, “Sure.” Imagine if God preassigned places of honor based on arbitrary reasons, at the request of “important” people. His nature would be changed. He would be a kind of supreme politician. He would be a more powerful version of the kind of rulers human beings tend to be, when left to our own devices.

Or imagine if Christ said, “That’s stupid. No way.” Imagine he simply refused to deal with humanity’s silly questions because they were arrogant and missed the point. Where would that leave us? What questions would he answer? He would have to refuse to deal with humanity, period.

God With Us

In fact, what we have is a God who isn’t a ruler from afar, but one who came to live with us, and suffer with us, precisely to be able to address our real human needs — even in the confused terms we present them.

As the Letter to the Hebrews puts it in the second reading, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way.”

The apostles eventually understood enough to be sure that every Gospel records their misunderstanding about power — and Christ’s gentle but firm correction.

And it’s interesting to note that the Acts of the Apostles tell “the rest of the story.” James and John eventually got their wish. Acts 12:2 tells us how Herod had James beheaded.

He did indeed drink the cup of Christ — to the dregs.

—This article originally appeared in our sister publication, the National Catholic Register.


31 posted on 10/18/2009 5:14:03 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Secret Harbor ~ Portus Secretioris

17 October 2009

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading, Isaiah 53:10-11
From a Christian perspective, it’s relatively easy to see Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophecy of the suffering servant. From that understanding, the words “long life” would translate into “eternal life” as Jesus is the One Who gave His life as an offering for sin, taking our guilt upon Himself. The sufferings of this Servant would have a redemptive value.

This must have been a difficult concept when this message was first proclaimed. The Jews endured much suffering and spent many hours in prayer, pleading to God for relief; and to hear or read that their hope would be fulfilled by yet more suffering must have seemed absurd.

Today, not even all Christians see a value in suffering. Sadly, some believe that suffering is caused by a lack of faith. From a Catholic point of view, our sufferings are united with Christ's in such a way that we can offer them in union with His redemptive work for the salvation of souls.

Second Reading, Hebrews 4:14-16
In the Old Covenant, a sacrifice required a priest and a victim. In the New and Everlasting Covenant, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was both Priest and Victim.

One of the many beauties of our relationship with our Lord is that He was willing to take on our way of life by the most humble means possible, making our ability to relate to Him much easier because we know that He has already endured what we endure. Jesus not only lived those circumstances which tempt us and often lead us to our shortcomings, He also took those shortcomings and failures upon Himself making it considerably easier for us to relate to Him. Knowing that, we can indeed, as the last verse says, "confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help."

Gospel, Mark 10:35-45
There’s something very alluring about greatness. Many would love to achieve it or minimally be in the presence of it. Many young adults have spent the night outside of an arena just so they could be one of the first in line to buy tickets to see their favorite rock stars. At Hollywood movie premiers, look how many people line up along the red carpet just to get a glimpse of their favorite movie stars. Nowadays, a small fortune is spent to go to professional sporting events to watch athletes perform seemingly super-human feats. Mostly what’s intriguing about greatness is the power, fame and wealth that goes along with it. All of these forms of greatness, however, are short-lived.

In this Gospel, James and John are looking to achieve greatness. And the greatness they are looking for is not exactly what Jesus had in mind. They want to sit at the right and left of Jesus. Jesus tells them they do not know what they are asking. They are thinking of Jesus as the eventual head of some sort of world government; and by sitting at His right and left they would be considered powerful men, at least by human standards. Their minds at this point haven’t really grasped what greatness is in terms of the Messianic mission.

Take a moment and think of those you would consider to be great Christians. If you were able to interview all of them you might find very different personalities, some married, some single, some ordained ministers, doctors, lawyers and ditch diggers. One common denominator, however, that all of them would be able to share with you is the sufferings they have endured. When you are serious about your walk with the Lord, that walk is an extremely difficult one, with many sufferings. Suffering is an inescapable ingredient for not only being a great Christian but also being human. With God’s grace, our acceptance of this makes us great Christians; and this greatness is quite different, if not opposite, of the type of greatness mentioned earlier. In worldly terms, greatness means being served; in Christian terms, greatness means to serve.

The desire of any great Christian is to follow in the Footsteps of Jesus Who suffered and gave His life as a ransom for many. Great Christians have also given their lives literally. But offering one’s life doesn’t have to mean the death of the body. It could mean death to a way of life: a life of immorality, untrustworthiness, greed and anything else that is contrary to what Jesus taught. It is much easier to give up and surrender to these immoralities since today’s world is flooded with such things. Much of the sufferings that Christians endure are the temptations to give up the good fight and surrender to the ways of the culture. But we don’t have to fight it alone. We have our Lord and each other.

Greatness in a worldly sense is often single-minded and perhaps egotistical. Jesus tells His apostles and us, His devoted followers, that among us it shall not be so. Christianity already has One Holy Trinity and there simply isn’t any room for the trinity of me, myself and I. We are called to be servants and slaves, putting the needs of others before our own. If we allow temptation to pollute our minds, this way of life may not sound so great. But our ultimate greatness cannot be achieved in this life; in fact, it cannot be achieved at all by us. Our ultimate greatness is not something we earn; rather, it is given as a gift by the greatest One of all.

32 posted on 10/18/2009 5:51:47 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Vultus Christi

Ut sanaret filium ejus

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Passing On the Tradition

One of the best things about being a very small monastic household is the freedom to make use of the opportunities for passing on the tradition that present themselves in the course of our prayer and our work. This morning, for example, I was able to say a few words about the significance of today's Benedictus Antiphon, right after we sang it at Lauds. Given that we have daily Mass in the Extraordinary Form, today is the 20th Sunday After Pentecost, and the Gospel is John 4:46-53. The Benedictus Antiphon is drawn from it.

He came again therefore into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain ruler, whose son was sick at Capharnaum. He having heard that Jesus was come from Judea into Galilee, sent to him and prayed him to come down and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore said to him: Unless you see signs and wonders, you believe not. The ruler saith to him: Lord, come down before that my son die. Jesus saith to him: Go thy way. Thy son liveth. The man believed the word which Jesus said to him and went his way. And as he was going down, his servants met him: and they brought word, saying, that his son lived. He asked therefore of them the hour wherein he grew better. And they said to him: Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him. The father therefore knew that it was at the same hour that Jesus said to him: Thy son liveth. And himself believed, and his whole house.

Benedictus Antiphon

Antiphonale Monasticum, p. 611.

Erat quidam regulus
cuius filius infirmabatur Capharnaum.
Hic cum audisset, quod Iesus veniret in Galilaeam,
rogabat eum, ut sanaret filium ejus.

The Name of Jesus

The musical summit of the antiphon is over the Most Holy Name of Jesus: The Lord God saves, the Lord God heals, the Lord God makes whole. Everything, then, in the antiphon moves upward to the Name of Jesus or flows therefrom.

Place and Time

The words Capharnaum, and Galilaeam even more so, are given a rich musical treatment, suggesting the importance of place in the economy of the Incarnation. Jesus, our Saving God, is not indifferent to what some would dismiss as mere mundane considerations: place and time. The wonder of the Incarnation lies, precisely, in this: that our God comes to meet each of us in a given place, one that can be circumscribed geographically and pinpointed on a map; at a given moment in time. This given moment on the calendars and clocks of our chronos becomes the moment of the Divine Inbreaking, God's moment, His kairos.

The Magnificat Antiphon

Antiphonale Monasticum, p. 612.

The ruler intercedes with Jesus for his sick son: rogabat eum, ut sanaret filium eius. Only at the Magnificat Antiphon of Second Vespers do we hear the wondrous outcome of the ruler's supplication. "The father therefore knew that it was at the same hour that Jesus said to him: Thy son liveth. And himself believed, and his whole house." Again, the Name of Jesus is given a musical treatment that makes it the heart and centre of the whole antiphon.

The Sacramental Quality of Neums

I explained to my brothers this morning that every neum has a "sacramental" quality. It is, as Saint Gertrude the Great experienced, a vehicle of grace both for the one who sings it and the one who hears it. Inspired by the Holy Ghost, the Church clothes the Word of God in the sacred vesture of her chant. Like a garment that emphasizes and prolongs the movement of a dancer's body, so does the chant emphasize and prolongs the movement of the Word in medio ecclesiae.


33 posted on 10/18/2009 6:02:30 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

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


A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 109 (110)
The Messiah, king and priest
The Lord will send a mighty sceptre from Zion, and he will rule for ever. Alleluia.
The Lord has said to my lord:
  “Sit at my right hand
  while I make your enemies your footstool.”
From Zion the Lord will give you a sceptre,
  and you will rule in the midst of your foes.
Royal power is yours in the day of your strength,
  among the sacred splendours.
  Before the dawn, I begot you from the womb.
The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent:
  “You are a priest for ever,
  a priest of the priesthood of Melchisedech.”
The Lord is at your right hand,
  and on the day of his anger he will shatter kings.
He will drink from the stream as he goes –
  he will hold his head high.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
  world without end.
Amen.
The Lord will send a mighty sceptre from Zion, and he will rule for ever. Alleluia.

Psalm 113A (114)
Israel set free from Egypt
The earth trembled at the presence of the Lord. Alleluia.
When Israel came out of Egypt,
  Jacob’s people from a land of strangers,
Judah became his sanctuary
  and Israel his domain.
The sea saw it, and fled;
  the Jordan flowed backwards at the sight;
the mountains leapt like rams;
  the hills, like yearling sheep.
Sea, what was it, what made you flee?
  And you, Jordan, why did you flow uphill?
Mountains, why did you leap like rams?
  Hills, like yearling sheep?
Tremble, Earth, at the presence of the Lord,
  the presence of the Lord of Jacob,
who has turned the rock into a pool of water
  and made a fountain out of the flint.
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.
The earth trembled at the presence of the Lord. Alleluia.

Canticle (Apocalypse 19)
The wedding of the Lamb
God reigns: our Lord, the Almighty. Alleluia.
Alleluia.
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
  because his judgements are true and just.
Alleluia.
Alleluia.
Praise our God, all his servants,
  and you who fear him, small and great.
Alleluia.
Alleluia.
For the Lord reigns, our God, the Almighty:
  let us rejoice and exult and give him glory.
Alleluia.
Alleluia.
The marriage of the Lamb has come,
  and his spouse has made herself ready.
Alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
  world without end.
Amen.
God reigns: our Lord, the Almighty. Alleluia.

Short reading 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ©
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, a gentle Father and the God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our sorrows, so that we can offer others, in their sorrows, the consolation that we have received from God ourselves.

Canticle Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
  and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.
For he has shown me such favour –
  me, his lowly handmaiden.
Now all generations will call me blessed,
  because the mighty one has done great things for me.
His name is holy,
  his mercy lasts for generation after generation
  for those who revere him.
He has put forth his strength:
  he has scattered the proud and conceited,
  torn princes from their thrones;
  but lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
  the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
  he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,
  to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
  world without end.
Amen.
The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Prayers and Intercessions ?
We worship Christ the Lord: he is our Head and we are his body. In triumph we cry:
Lord, may your kingdom come.
Our Saviour, make your Church more and more a sacrament of human unity:
  and an ever more effective road to salvation.
Lord, may your kingdom come.
Stand next to the college of Bishops, and our Pope,
  and give them the gifts of unity, love, and peace.
Lord, may your kingdom come.
May Christians be more closely united with you as their Head;
  may the way they live proclaim your kingdom.
Lord, may your kingdom come.
In your kindness, give peace to the world:
  make peace and security flower everywhere.
Lord, may your kingdom come.
Give the deceased a glorious resurrection at the end of time,
  and allow us to share their blessedness.
Lord, may your kingdom come.

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.

Almighty and ever-living God,
  make us devoted to doing your will
  and serving you in your majesty with sincere hearts.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
  who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
  God for ever and ever.
Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.
A M E N

34 posted on 10/18/2009 6:05:28 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Regnum Christi

To Serve Is to Reign
| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY
Sunday, 29th week, OT


Father Steven Reilly, LC


Mark 10:35-45

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?" They answered him, "Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" They said to him, "We can." Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared." When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, your apostles longed to follow you. You want to show me the difference between earthly and heavenly glory. For you, what matters is not being at Christ’s right or left but sharing in his redemptive work. As I kneel before you today, I want to offer myself and all of today’s struggles and efforts as a sign of my friendship and love.

Petition: Lord Jesus, help me to learn how to be a Christian leader.

1. Gentile Rulers, AKA, the Bossy Soul People who “make their authority felt” have a variety of ways to do so. Sometimes they thank you for your good idea and then proceed to tell you why it would never work. Their approach is sometimes subtle — a quiet reminder of potential negative consequences. Other times it can be a shout to help focus attention. We all know people like this, people who boss others around. Maybe we’re even one of them…. Jesus has only one answer for this outlook — his own example: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.…” Jesus is Lord, but he wasn’t bossy!

2. If Not a Gulp, at Least a Sip For James and John to follow Christ, they will have to “drink the cup” that the Lord will drink. What is this cup? Fast forward to Gethsemane: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me” (Luke 22:42). Jesus’ own human nature struggled with the implications of full adherence to God’s plan. Ultimately, he would drink that cup — one of bitter suffering, to the very dregs. He called James and John to imitate him. He is inviting us as well. Fortunately, he prepares our souls to be generous. He guides us to greater spiritual maturity, offering us little “sips” from his cup. The small sufferings of daily life purify our souls.

3. Servant Leadership Jesus’ life was a “ransom for many.” He was the servant of Yahweh and, as such, he constantly served others in their most profound needs. Jesus met people where they were the weakest: he helped the blind regain their sight, the lame to walk, lepers to be cleansed, the deaf to hear, the dead to rise, and to the poor he preached the good news (Cf. Matthew 11:5). A leader has vision, but unless he is a servant leader, he may see only his vision. We cannot allow ourselves to be out of touch with the needs of those around us. Let us strive to serve others by meeting them on their level.

Conversation with Christ: Thank you, Lord, for this time of prayer. I have seen how you formed James and John. Through humble service of my neighbor, help me to go to the next level.

Resolution: I will perform a hidden act of charity for someone whom I find bothersome.


35 posted on 10/18/2009 6:13:54 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

Homily of the Day

To Ransom Captives and Rescue Prisoners

October 18th, 2009 by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Is 53:10-11 / Heb 4:14-16 / Mk 10:35-45

Deep in the Middle Ages wave after wave of Christians went on crusades to the Holy Land to liberate the holy places from the Moslems.  These crusades went on for several centuries and failed in the end.  But in the meantime there were vast numbers of casualties: many thousands killed or injured in battle, tens of thousands — including a king of France — cut down by disease on the way, and thousands more — including a king of England — held captive for ransom.  Whole religious orders of priests were founded with the sole purpose of ransoming captives and liberating prisoners from the clutches of the heathens.  And sometimes those priests would even offer themselves in exchange for the prisoners!

Just an isolated moment in history long ago and far away?  We might think so, but Sunday’s Gospel disagrees.  For, as we heard so clearly, Jesus defines his whole mission as ransoming captives. “I have come to give my life in ransom for the many.”  In defining himself in that way, Jesus also defines our vocation as his followers.  So we’d better figure out what this business of ransoming captives and rescuing prisoners is all about.

First of all, what it’s not about for us is dashing off to Lebanon or Iran or Iraq to negotiate with terrorists.  Our task is more subtle than that, and our opportunities are much closer at hand.  Jesus is asking us to do for one another what he tries to do for us.  He’s asking us to invest our very best energies in the task of setting one another free from whatever holds us captive.

To understand that vocation we have to look closely at the kinds of things that enslave people.  Just think of the fears, and angers, and grudges that hold people captive.  Think of the bad habits of a lifetime that are trapping so many.  Think of the bad ideas that imprison so many.  And think of the compulsive need for things, the need for stuff, which holds so many of us hostage and forecloses the possibility of a happy life.  Just call up in your mind’s eye the face of anyone you know, friend or foe, and you’ll see there, even in the very best of people, the hints of prison walls, the need to be set free.

So how do we go about helping one another escape our prison walls?  Tons of free advice will rarely do it — we’ve already learned that!  The most powerful, liberating gift we have to give is our steadfast, compassionate presence.  Our strength, our goodness, and our willingness to continue walking at the side of our friend can, in time, become strength and goodness and freedom for our friend.

That is a wonderful gift we have to give: strength, goodness, and freedom.  What a sadness it would be if we failed to give it!


36 posted on 10/18/2009 6:18:30 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 


<< Sunday, October 18, 2009 >> 29th Sunday Ordinary Time
Saint of the Day
 
Isaiah 53:10-11
Hebrews 4:14-16

View Readings
Psalm 33:4-5, 18-20, 22
Mark 10:35-45

 

SPEAKING OF LOVE

 
"Since, then, we have a great High Priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our profession of faith." —Hebrews 4:14
 

Human beings have a tendency to tell others about those they love. Parents like to show anyone pictures of their children. Brides-to-be usually can't say a sentence without speaking of their fiances. For us to tell others about Jesus, we must simply come to love Him. When we realize He gave up His life for us (Is 53:10; Mt 20:28), love wells up in our hearts. When we believe He took on Himself all our sins and guilt (Is 53:11), we're attracted to this Person Who loves us more than we love ourselves.

Jesus has always been there for us, ready to forgive us and "sympathize with our weakness" (Heb 4:15). Through Him, we can "confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and favor and to find help in time of need" (Heb 4:16). Jesus is amazingly lovable. He is perfect. He will never reject us (Jn 6:37). He has proven His love. Never let a day go by without speaking to someone of your love for Jesus.

 
Prayer: Jesus, may I become ever more preoccupied with loving You.
Promise: "Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest; whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all." —Mk 10:43-44
Praise: "O Lord our God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power! For You have created all things; by Your will they came to be and were made!" (Rv 4:11) Alleluia!

37 posted on 10/18/2009 6:37:09 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Compline -- Night Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer)

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

This is an excellent moment for an examination of conscience. In a communal celebration of Compline, one of the penitential acts given in the Missal may be recited.


Hymn
Now that the daylight dies away,
By all thy grace and love,
Thee, Maker of the world, we pray
To watch our bed above.
Let dreams depart and phantoms fly,
The offspring of the night,
Keep us, like shrines, beneath thine eye,
Pure in our foe’s despite.
This grace on thy redeemed confer,
Father, co-equal Son,
And Holy Ghost, the Comforter,
Eternal Three in One.

Psalm 90 (91)
The protection of the Most High
He will shade you with his wings; you will not fear the terror of the night.
He who lives under the protection of the Most High
  dwells under the shade of the Almighty.
He will say to the Lord:
  “You are my shelter and my strength,
  my God, in whom I trust.”
For he will free you from the hunter’s snare,
  from the voice of the slanderer.
He will shade you with his wings,
  you will hide underneath his wings.
His faithfulness will be your armour and your shield.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
  nor the arrow that flies by day;
nor the plague that walks in the shadows,
  nor the death that lays waste at noon.
A thousand will fall at your side,
  at your right hand ten thousand will fall,
  but you it will never come near.
You will look with your eyes
  and see the reward of sinners.
For the Lord is your shelter and refuge;
  you have made the Most High your dwelling-place.
Evil will not reach you,
  harm cannot approach your tent;
for he has set his angels to guard you
  and keep you safe in all your ways.
They will carry you in their arms
  in case you hurt your foot on a stone.
You walk on the viper and cobra,
  you will tread on the lion and the serpent.
Because he clung to me, I shall free him:
  I shall lift him up because he knows my name.
He will call upon me and for my part, I will hear him:
  I am with him in his time of trouble.
I shall rescue him and lead him to glory.
I shall fill him with length of days
  and show him my salvation.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
  world without end.
Amen.
He will shade you with his wings; you will not fear the terror of the night.

Reading Apocalypse 22:4-5
They will see the face of the Lord, and his name will be marked on their foreheads. There will be no more night: they will not need sunlight or lamp-light, because the Lord God himself will shine upon them. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Short Responsory
Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness.
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

Canticle Nunc Dimittis
Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.
Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace.
  You have fulfilled your promise.
My own eyes have seen your salvation,
  which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples.
A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness;
  the glory of your people Israel.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
  world without end.
Amen.
Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

Let us pray.
Today we have celebrated the mystery of the Christ’s resurrection, and so now we humbly ask you, Lord, that we may rest in your peace, far from all harm, and rise rejoicing and giving praise to you.
Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.

A M E N

Salve Regina
Hail to you, O Queen, mother of loving kindness,
  our life, our happiness, our hope.
Hear us cry out to you,
  children of Eve in our exile.
Hear as we sigh, with groaning and weeping
  in this life, this valley of tears.
Come then, our Advocate, turn towards us
  the gaze of your kind and loving eyes.
And show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb,
  when at last our exile here is ended.

38 posted on 10/18/2009 6:39:35 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
John and James

John and James

October 19th, 2009 by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

It was time to make their move. Usually it was Peter who took the initiative, but now it was their turn. They cleared their throats and asked the master for the best seats in the house, the places of honor right next to the throne.

Of course, in this conversation, recounted in Sunday’s gospel, John and James were referring to that glorious moment when Jesus would be finally acclaimed as king of Israel, indeed, of all the world. They envisioned themselves as prime minister A and prime minister B who should naturally bask in the splendor of the monarch.

Jesus was quite restrained in his correction. For it would be natural for the disciples to strive for excellence since God created us to do so. And it would natural for them to think that excellence would mean privilege, honor and glory, for that is how everyone seems to think of it, whether Jew or Gentile. Both chief priests and Roman governors were surrounded with pomp and circumstance, servants and sycophants.

Jesus wanted them to be ambitious to achieve true greatness, which is not about having big heads but big hearts. It is that love called charity that makes men and women truly great, since it makes them like God in whose image they were created. And Jesus had begun to show them what God’s love was like, but they’d not gotten the point. Their feet had not yet been washed and the King had not been crowned with thorns. They’d not yet understood that love is self-emptying, that true greatness lies in sacrifice, that “prime minister” means servant of all.

In a world where self-interest and self-promotion are the law of the land, such a love is destined to suffer. To be great in love is to suffer much. The cup of feasting may come, but only after the cup of suffering. Jesus had come to drain this bitter cup to its dregs. Were they ready to drink it with him? Glibly they answered yes, oblivious to the implications of their choice. They’d learn soon enough what it would entail.

Jesus, says the letter to the Hebrews, can be compassionate and merciful with us, because he was tempted in every way that we are tempted, though he never succumbed. He could correct the sons of Zebedee with gentleness because he himself was tempted to gain the favor and glory of the kingdoms of the world by bowing before the father of pride (Mathew 4:8-9). He chose instead humbly to serve the Father of mercy.

You’d think it would be easier for us to get the point than the two brothers. After all, we received the spirit of understanding when, in baptism and confirmation, we put on the mind of Christ. We know the end of the story–that the resurrection follows the crucifixion.

But unfortunately, there’s still a scar left on all us from the snakebite passed down to us by our first parents, and a residue of the serpent’s venom still lingers on. There is a tug within us to climb over others in our rise to greatness, to exalt ourselves even at others expense, even to trip up others so that we may get ahead. We are tempted to let others take the rap so that we might look good, to leave others holding the bag while we escape scott-free, to leave the dirty dishes for others lest, God forbid, we do more than our “fair share.”

If we are to be followers of Jesus and be truly great, we must renounce placing any limits on how much we are willing to give or whom we are willing to serve. The one who is greatest, and is most like God, is not the one who appears on the cover of People magazine. It is the one who will go to the greatest lengths for those who are least worthy and least grateful.

 

Dr. D'Ambrosio studied under Avery Cardinal Dulles for his Ph.D. in historical theology and taught for many years at the University of Dallas. He now directs www.crossroadsinitiative.com, which offers Catholic resources for RCIA and adult and teen faith formation, with a special emphasis on the Eucharist, the Theology of the Body, the early Church Fathers, and the Sacrament of Confirmation.

(This article originally appeared in Our Sunday Visitor and is used by permission of the author.)


39 posted on 10/19/2009 9:07:36 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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