41. And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
42. Saying, If you had known, even you, at least in this your day, the things which belong to your peace! but now they are hid from your eyes.
43. For the days shall come upon you, that your enemies shall cast a trench about you, and compass you round, and keep you in on every side,
44. And shall lay you even with the ground, and your children within you; and they shall not leave in you one stone upon another; because you knew not the time of your visitation.

ORIGEN; All the blessings which Jesus pronounced in His Gospel He confirms by His own example, as having declared, Blessed are the meek; He afterwards sanctions it by saying, Learn of me, for I am meek; and because He had said, Blessed are they that weep, He Himself also wept over the city.

CYRIL; For Christ had compassion upon the Jews, who wills that all men should be saved. Which had not been plain to us, were it not revealed by a certain mark of His humanity. For tears poured forth are the tokens of sorrow.

GREG. The merciful Redeemer wept then over the fall of the false city, which that city itself knew not was about to come upon it. As it is added, saying, If you had known, even you (we may here understand) would weep. You who now rejoice, for you know not what is at hand. It follows, at least in this your day. For when she gave herself up to carnal pleasures, she had the things which in her day might be her peace. But why she had present goods for her peace, is explained by what follows, But now they are hidden from your eyes. For if the eyes of her heart had not been hidden from the future evils which were hanging over her, she would not have been joyful in the prosperity of the present.

Therefore He shortly added the punishment which was near at hand, saying, For the days shall come upon you.

CYRIL; If you had known, even you. The Jews were not worthy to receive the divinely inspired Scriptures, which relate the mystery of Christ. For as often as Moses is read, a veil overshadow s their heart that they should not see what has been accomplished in Christ, who being the truth puts to flight the shadow. And because they regarded not the truth, they rendered themselves unworthy of the salvation which flows from Christ.

EUSEBIUS; He here declares that His coming was to bring peace to the whole world. For to this He came, that He should preach both to them that were near, and those that were afar off. But as they did not wish to receive the peace that was announced to them, it was hid from them. And therefore the siege which was shortly to come upon them He most expressly foretells, adding, For the days shall come upon you, &c.

GREG. By these words the Roman leaders are pointed out. For that overthrow of Jerusalem is described, which was made by the Roman emperors Vespasian and Titus.

EUSEBIUS; But how these things were fulfilled we may gather from what is delivered to us by Josephus, who though he was a Jew, related each event as it took place, in exact accordance with Christ's prophecies.

GREG. This too which is added, namely, They shall not leave in you one stone upon another, is now witnessed in the altered situation of the same city, which is now built in that place where Christ was crucified without the gate, whereas the former Jerusalem, as it is called, was rooted up from the very foundation. And the crime for which this punishment of overthrow was inflicted is added, Because you knew not the time of your visitation.

THEOPHYL. That is, of my coming. For I came to visit and to save you, which if you had known and believed on Me, you might have been reconciled to the Romans, and exempted from all danger as did those who believed on Christ.

ORIGEN; I do not deny then that the former Jerusalem was destroyed because of the wickedness of its inhabitants, but I ask whether the weeping might not perhaps concern this your spiritual Jerusalem. For if a man has sinned after receiving the mysteries of truth, he will be wept over. Moreover, no Gentile is wept over, but he only who was of Jerusalem, and has ceased to be.

GREG. For our Redeemer does not cease to weep through His elect whenever he perceives any to have departed from a good life to follow evil ways. Who if they had known their own damnation, hanging over them, would together with the elect shed tears over themselves. But the corrupt soul here has its day, rejoicing in the passing time; to whom things present are its peace, seeing that it takes delight in that which is temporal. It shuns the foresight of the future which may disturb its present mirth; and hence it follows, But now are they hid from your eyes.

ORIGEN; But our Jerusalem is also wept over, because after sin enemies surround it, (that is, wicked spirits,) and cast a trench round it to besiege it, and leave not a stone behind; especially when a man after long continence, after years of chastity, is overcome, and enticed by the blandishments of the flesh, has lost his fortitude and his modesty, and has committed fornication, they will not leave on him one stone upon another, according to Ezekiel, His formed righteousness I will not remember.

GREG. Or else; The evil spirits lay siege to the soul, as it goes forth from the body, for being seized with the love of the flesh, they caress it with delusive pleasures. They surround it with a trench, because bringing all its wickedness which it has committed before the eyes of its mind, they close confine it to the company of its own damnation, that being caught in the very extremity of life, it may see by what enemies it is blockaded, yet be unable to find any way of escape, because it can no longer do good works, since those which it might once have done it despised. On every side also they enclose the soul when its iniquities rise up before it, not only in deed but also in word and thought, that she who before in many ways greatly enlarged herself in wickedness, should now at the end be straitened every way in judgment. Then indeed the soul by the very condition of its guilt is laid prostrate on the ground, while its flesh which it believed to be its life is bid to return to dust. Then its children fall in death, when all unlawful thoughts which only proceed from it, are in the last punishment of life scattered abroad. These may also be signified by the stones. For the corrupt mind when to a corrupt thought it adds one more corrupt, places one stone upon another. But when the soul is led to its doom, the whole structure of its thoughts is rent asunder. But the wicked soul God ceases not to visit with His teaching, sometimes with the scourge and sometimes with a miracle; that the truth which it knew not it may hear, and though still despising it, may return pricked to the heart in sorrow, or overcome with mercies may be ashamed at the evil which it has done. But because it knows not the time of its visitation, at the end of life it is given over to its enemies, that with them it may be joined together in the bond of everlasting damnation.

Catena Aurea Luke 19

Pietà

Annibale Carracci

1599-1600
Oil on canvas, 156 x 149 cm
Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

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

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.

A suitable hymn may be inserted here.

Psalm 56 (57) Morning prayer in time of affliction

Awake, lyre and harp: I will awaken the dawn.

Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.

My soul flies to you for refuge.

I will hide in the shelter of your wings

until the time of ambush is past.

I will cry to God the Most High,

to the God who cares for me.

He will send help from heaven to set me free.

He will disgrace those who trample me underfoot.

He will send forth his mercy and faithfulness.

My soul lies among lion-cubs

that would devour the children of men.

Their teeth are spears and arrows,

their tongues are pointed swords.

May you be exalted above the heavens, O God;

let your glory cover the whole earth.

They prepared a trap for my feet;

my soul was bent double under its burden;

they dug a pit in front of me

– but they fell into it themselves.

My heart is ready, God.

My heart is ready.

I will offer you music and song.

Awake, my glory,

awake, lyre and harp.

I will awaken the dawn.

I will proclaim you among the peoples, Lord,

and make music for you among the nations,

for your mercy reaches as high as the heavens,

your faithfulness to the clouds.

May you be exalted above the heavens, O God;

let your glory cover the earth.

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.

Awake, lyre and harp: I will awaken the dawn.

Canticle	Jeremiah 31

The joy of those whom God sets free

Good things will fill my people to overflowing, says the Lord.

All you nations, listen to the word of the Lord,

proclaim it in the farthest islands:

“He who scattered his people Israel

has brought them back together.

He will care for them as a shepherd tends his flock.”

For the Lord has redeemed Jacob

and freed him from the hand of his conqueror.

They will come and sing praises on Mount Zion,

they will flood in to receive the good things of the Lord,

grain, and wine, and oil,

and the young of both herd and flock.

Their spirit will be like a richly watered garden,

and they will hunger no more.

The young girl will dance for joy,

young men and old men too.

“I will turn their weeping into gladness,” says the Lord,

“I will comfort them and give them joy after sorrow.

I will overwhelm my priests with rich food,

and my good things will fill my people to overflowing.”

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.

Good things will fill my people to overflowing, says the Lord.

Psalm 47 (48) Thanksgiving for the safety of the people

The Lord is great and greatly to be praised in the city of our God.

The Lord is great and greatly to be praised

in the city of our God.

His holy mountain is a beautiful sight,

the joy of all the earth.

Mount Zion is at its northernmost edge,

the city of the great king.

Here among its palaces,

God has shown himself as its refuge.

For the kings assembled,

made alliance against it –

but when they saw it, they were amazed.

Panic took them and they scattered.

Trembling took hold of them,

pain like that of childbirth.

With the east wind

you will destroy the ships of Tarshish.

What we had heard, we saw in the city of the Lord of hosts,

in the city of our God,

which God has founded for ever.

We ponder your mercy, O God,

as we stand in your temple.

Your name, O Lord, and your praise

will reach to the ends of the earth.

Your right hand delivers justice.

Let Mount Zion be glad

and the daughters of Judah rejoice,

because of your judgements.

Go round Zion, see it all,

count every tower.

Feel its strength,

visit its palaces,

so that you can tell the next generation –

Here is God, our God,

here he remains for ever;

and for ever he will lead us and guide us.

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 is great and greatly to be praised in the city of our God.

Short reading	Isaiah 66:1-2 ©

Thus says the Lord:

With heaven my throne

and earth my footstool,

what house could you build me,

what place could you make for my rest?

All of this was made by my hand

and all this is mine – it is the Lord who speaks.

But my eyes are drawn to the man

of humbled and contrite spirit,

who trembles at my word.

Short Responsory

I cry to you from the bottom of my heart: hear me, Lord.

– I cry to you from the bottom of my heart: hear me, Lord.

I will keep your commandments.

– I cry to you from the bottom of my heart: hear me, Lord.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– I cry to you from the bottom of my heart: hear me, Lord.

Canticle	Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Let us serve the Lord in holiness, and he will free us from our enemies.

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.

Let us serve the Lord in holiness, and he will free us from our enemies.

Prayers and Intercessions

Let us thank Christ who has given us the light of this day, and let us pray to him:

– Bless us, Lord, and sanctify us.

You offered yourself up for our sins:

accept all that we are doing and plan to do today.

– Bless us, Lord, and sanctify us.

Our eyes rejoice at the gift of a new day:

may our hearts rejoice as you dawn in them.

– Bless us, Lord, and sanctify us.

Grant us the gift today of being patient with everyone,

so that we can be like you.

– Bless us, Lord, and sanctify us.

This morning, Lord, make us understand your compassion:

may your joy give us strength through the day.

– Bless us, Lord, and sanctify us.

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, we pray to you in your majesty morning, noon and night:

erase from our hearts the shadow of sin,

and fill them with the true light, which is Christ.

He lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever.

Amen.

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

A M E N

The Word Among Us

Meditation: 1 Maccabees 2:15-29

The events in 1 and 2 Maccabees took place in the second century b.c., when the Seleucid kings invaded Israel and tried to eradicate the Jewish religion.

They set up pagan altars in the Temple, and many faithful Jews died because they continued to circumcise their children, avoid forbidden foods, and keep copies of God’s Law.

Mattathias, a respected elder with five sons, was a natural leader. Recognizing this, the officials who came to enforce pagan sacrifice addressed him first. They offered enticements if he would lead others in giving in. “You’ll be rich,” they promised. “You’ll be known as the king’s friend.”

“In a loud voice,” Mattathias refused. Even if everyone else abandoned their ancestral religion, he was determined that he and his family would not “depart from our religion in the slightest degree”?(1 Maccabees 2:19,22). Mattathias exercised defiant leadership, inviting faithful Jews to rally to his cause, even though that meant leaving their homes, livelihood, and security. The courageous actions of this family, eventually made it possible for Israel to drive out their enemies and exist as a sovereign state again.

What kind of leadership position are you in? Are you in charge of a business? Do you have responsibilities for a major project at work? Are you the head of a family? Even if you see yourself as just an “underling,” you can still be a leader. You can model diligent work habits. You can be a source of encouragement and inspiration to your co-workers. You can even engage in spiritual warfare through intercessory prayer.

The most important leadership role any of us can take is to lead people to Jesus. For example, simply taking the time after Mass to get to know a young couple and share with them about God’s work in your life can make a huge difference. Offering to help a neighbor can open up opportunities for witnessing. Volunteering at a crisis pregnancy center can put you in a position to begin to pray with people and help them find the Lord. You can make a difference because Christ is in you. Each of us can lead, even as we follow the Lord!

“Lord, you have called me to follow you. Help me to keep my eyes on you and to discover how you want me to influence others.”

Psalm 50:1-2,5-6,14-15; Luke 19:41-44

Secret Harbor ~ Portus Secretioris

19 November 2009

Transforming Union

Transforming Union or possessing the fullness of Christ is something most of us will never experience in this lifetime. But certainly we’re familiar with stories of saints and mystics who have been there. But what is this transforming union? Why do so few experience it? Is it available to everyone? A Carthusian writer tackles this subject. This is part one of what will likely be a two-part post.

“My Beloved is mine, and I am His” (Song of Songs 2:16).

Transforming union is the full development on earth of sanctifying grace, that is, the fullness of the life of Christ within us. Sadly, it is a state which is rarely reached, for it implies a plentitude of love. But, however far we may be from that state, we should know something about it, so as to be able to distinguish what is only transitory in the spiritual life, from that which pertains to its perfection.

There is one last trial, a testing of love, in which the soul, intensely drawn to the One it loves, aspires with its whole being to heavenly union. It is the desire to die, to break the chains of this life. If the Lord inspires this desire in the soul, it is in order to fulfill it, but in an unexpected way, by giving the grace of transforming union.

Sanctifying grace is the free gift of alliance contracted by God with each one of us, in the Church. It consists in the gift of the Holy Spirit Who communicates divine life to us: the knowledge and love which enable us to know and love God in an intimate exchange of personal friendship. He says to each of us, “I am calling you and you are My friend.” And His Creator Word establishes us in a sort of equality with Him, of friend to Friend (or, in other words, makes us share in the divine nature). The life of prayer is all about learning to live this friendship. We have to be gradually raised to this dignity, purified, and slowly transformed, until our will is one with the will of the Lord and our heart belongs totally to Him. Love is at the heart of transforming union, it is the substance of it. The phenomena which usually manifest this state are secondary, and in some cases are quite hidden, or even absent.

The life of grace becomes conscious. God is experienced not only as the objects of our acts of faith, hope and love, but as the interior source, the indwelling co-principle, of these acts. The sap of divine life flows in our faculties.

The term “spiritual marriage” is sometimes used to indicate this fusion of two lives: an intimate and stable union, based on the total, mutual gift of love between two persons, a gift with implications of rights and duties. “All that is Mine is yours, and all that is yours is Mine” (John 17:10).

The soul shares in the knowledge of God. It is given a mysterious knowledge, both luminous and obscure, by the love poured into it by the Holy Spirit. Love is itself a form of knowledge that goes further than any knowledge that can be formulated in images or ideas. It plunges into the infinite reality of divine life. The Spirit is the flame of love in the soul, a brightly burning flame.

There is no longer any distance. God communicates Himself to the soul by substantial touches, that is, directly, substance to substance, without passing by the faculties. Plunged into the divine fire, the soul becomes fire. Immersed in the vast sea, the drop of water becomes sea. Traversed by light, the pane of glass becomes light, without however ceasing to be what it is. No image can adequately express the reality. The saints and great mystics of all times have tried to speak of it, but this irruption of infinite life into the tiny space of a human soul is beyond words; do we not however, each one of us, recognize in this, in some obscure way, our deepest desire? How strange. But not so strange really, for our heart is made for You, Lord.

This union is the source of special insights on God and on the mysteries of the faith: sparks from the furnace at the center, that the intelligence receives by way of intuitive knowledge. The faculties no longer operate in their usual way, which is more or less discursive, but in the mode of the Holy Spirit acting through the gifts of intelligence and wisdom.

In this state, there is an habitual vision of the presence of God in the center of the soul, which is perceived, without mediation, as the dwelling of God. The higher faculties are drawn passively and imperiously towards the deep center of the soul where God dwells. They are plunged into this source of life, and emerge from it transformed, to act at the exterior. The activity of the soul flows from this deep center, the initiative comes from the interior and not from outside, from the Spirit and not from the world. This is why it is so important for the person of prayer to be able to enter into the interior depths of his or her soul, to remain there habitually, and to act from that center.

The soul often possesses habitually, but with differing degrees of intensity, the vision of the Holy Trinity, or of the divine nature. This is the highest point of spiritual illumination, but paradoxically is sometimes called “the Great Darkness,” for in drawing nearer, God reveals Himself to be supreme mystery, and totally different.

Whether this vision concerns the divine Persons or their unique nature, seems to depend on the religious sensitivity of the soul and the path followed. There is an Eastern tradition particularly directed towards experience of the divine nature, without however excluding, or regarding as secondary, loving intimacy with the Persons of the Holy Trinity. But at this level of mystical experience, however necessary the concepts of nature and person may be, they are very inadequate with regard to the incandescent reality of the union of God.

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening 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.

A suitable hymn may be inserted here.

Psalm 29 (30) Thanksgiving for rescue from death

Lord, I cried to you and you healed me: I will proclaim your name for ever.

Lord, I will give you all praise, for you have rescued me

and not let my foes triumph over me.

My Lord God, I cried to you

and you healed me.

Lord, you led my soul out from the underworld,

gave me life so that I would not sink into the abyss.

Sing to the Lord, his holy ones,

and proclaim the truth of his holiness.

His anger lasts a moment,

but his favour for a lifetime.

At night there are tears,

but in the morning, joy.

Once I was secure. I said,

“I will never be shaken.”

Lord, by your

favour you had given me strength, set me high;

but then you turned your face from me

and I was shaken.

I cried to you, Lord,

and prayed to my God.

“What use is my life,

when I sink into decay?

Will dust proclaim you,

or make known your faithfulness?”

The Lord heard and took pity on me.

The Lord became my helper.

You have turned my weeping into dancing,

torn off my sackcloth and clothed me in joy,

It is my glory to sing to you and never cease:

Lord, my God, I will proclaim your goodness 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.

Lord, I cried to you and you healed me: I will proclaim your name for ever.

Psalm 31 (32) The joy of the forgiven

Happy the man to whom the Lord imputes no blame.

Blessed is he whose sins are forgiven,

whose transgressions are hidden away.

Happy the man to whom the Lord imputes no blame,

and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

While I kept silent,

my bones grew old

as I groaned all day long.

While your hand lay heavy on me,

by day and by night,

my strength was dried up as if by summer heat.

I made my sin known to you,

and I did not hide my faults.

I said “I will bear witness against myself before the Lord,”

and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

This is why every saint will pray to you in due time,

and even in the great flood he will not be touched.

You are my refuge, you will preserve me from trouble,

you will surround me with cries of deliverance.

I will give you understanding and teach you the path you are to follow;

I will keep watch over you.

Do not be like the horse and the mule,

without understanding:

if you approach them with bit or bridle,

they will not come near.

Many are the sufferings of the wicked,

but the Lord’s mercy will protect those who trust in him.

Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you just.

Shout for joy, you upright of heart.

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.

Happy the man to whom the Lord imputes no blame.

Canticle	Apocalypse 11

The Judgement

The Lord has given him power and honour and kingship, and all people shall serve him.

We thank you,

Lord God Almighty,

who are and who were,

that you have taken up your great power and begun to reign.

The nations were angered,

but your anger came, the time for the dead to be judged,

the time to reward the prophets and saints, your servants,

and those who feared your name, both great and small.

Now have come the salvation and might and kingdom of our God,

and the power of his Anointed,

for the accuser of our brethren has been brought down,

who accused them day and night in the sight of God.

But they vanquished him through the blood of the Lamb

and through their own witness.

They did not cling to life,

even in the face of death.

Therefore rejoice, heavens,

and you who dwell in them.

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 has given him power and honour and kingship, and all people shall serve him.

Short reading	1 Peter 1:6-9 ©

This is a cause of great joy for you, even though you may for a short time have to bear being plagued by all sorts of trials; so that, when Jesus Christ is revealed, your faith will have been tested and proved like gold – only it is more precious than gold, which is corruptible even though it bears testing by fire – and then you will have praise and glory and honour. You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him, you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe; and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls.

Short Responsory

The Lord has fed us with finest wheat.

– The Lord has fed us with finest wheat.

He has filled us with honey from the rock.

– The Lord has fed us with finest wheat.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– The Lord has fed us with finest wheat.

Canticle	Magnificat

My soul rejoices in the Lord

The Lord has torn powers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.

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 Lord has torn powers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.

Prayers and Intercessions

Let us give praise to God, our help. In him is all our hope, to him we call as we say:

– Lord, look kindly on your children.

O Lord our God, you established an eternal covenant with your people:

continue to work your wonders for us.

– Lord, look kindly on your children.

Bring every priest to perfection in your love,

and bind together your faithful people in peace and unity.

– Lord, look kindly on your children.

May we work with you as we build our society,

so that our labours are not in vain.

– Lord, look kindly on your children.

Send workers into the harvest,

so that the whole world comes to know the glory of your name.

– Lord, look kindly on your children.

Welcome among your saints the dead whom we knew or who helped us;

and bring us in to join them when our time comes.

– Lord, look kindly on your children.

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.

O God, you send moon and stars to illuminate the night, and when night is over you send the dawn.

Grant that we may pass through this night safely, unhindered by Satan,

and that in the morning we may give you thanks in your presence.

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

Regnum Christi

Build Your Life on the Rock That Is Christ

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Thursday, 33rd week, OT

Dominic Pham, LC

Luke 19: 41-44

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If this day you only knew what makes for peace-- but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation."

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, many times I have overlooked your love in the circumstances of my life. I know you are always present, even if I don’t feel your love. This time of prayer is an opportunity to show you my love, and I truly desire to bring you consolation as you so often bring consolation to me.

Petition: Heavenly Father, help me to stand firm amidst the vicissitudes of life.

1. “As for Me and My Household, We Will Serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

The beauty of this life is that it offers us so many options. We have all been given the grace of free will, and we can choose to do many things. We can choose where we would like to work, where we want to vacation, who our friends are, what we are going to do this very moment. But the most important choice we make in life is to decide whether to love and serve God or to deny him. God’s greatest, natural gift to us is free will, and with it we direct our own destiny. What a truly beautiful soul who chooses to spend his life serving God! Clearly opting for God and his ways gives direction to a person’s life and provides clarity in moments of darkness and trial.

2. The Time to Prepare for a Storm Is Now The worst time to clean out the gutters is in the middle of a thunder storm. And that roof would have worked a lot better had it been fixed before a week of rain. The concept of being prepared is so hard for us human beings. Christ told his disciples, “Watch and pray, that you may not undergo the test” (Matthew 26:41). He was saying, “Be prepared. You never know when temptations or tough times are going to strike.”

3. Holding the Fort The spiritual life is a lot like a castle. A castle has its strong points and its not-so-strong points. It has a moat, high stone walls and turrets, but it also has a gate made only of wood. Each of us has one or two things that can be likened to that wooden gate. We all have our weaknesses, but do we know what those weaknesses are? One of the keys to being able to resist sin is self-knowledge. If we know ourselves, we can avoid putting ourselves in compromising situations. We can use our strong points to fight the enemy and fortify those areas that are the weakest. In the end, the strongest weapon we have both to resist and to fight is our dependence on the Lord – our prayer and fidelity to his will!

Conversation with Christ: Jesus, I don’t want to base my life just on feelings and on what makes me happy. I want to live for you, to take a risk for you.

Resolution: I will start a constant prayer life by praying the Rosary every day this week.

Homily of the Day

Mephistopheles Always

November 19th, 2009 by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D. Print This Article ·

1 Maccabees 2:15-29 / Lk 19:41-44

The Maccabees’ saga continues in today’s reading with Mattathias and his family being offered the ultimate deal with the devil: A small sacrifice to the pagan gods in exchange for vast riches and the title, ‘King’s Friends.’ It seems so little to give for so much, but Mattathias knew that wasn’t true. It was his faith, his connection to the Lord, that gave him life and made him who he was, and without that he knew he was nothing. So he rejected the deal, abandoned all his possessions, and fled with his family into the mountains.

Eventually, moments like that come to us all, though not usually with the glamorous offers that came Mattathias’ way. But the essence is there: give up ‘A’ to get ‘B’. Real wisdom consists in assessing correctly what we’re thinking of giving up. Is it of the essence of who we are and who we’re called to be? Does giving it up erode or conflict with a commitment we’ve already made?

In those dangerous compromise moments, desire can cloud our minds and whisper lies to us. More than ever, those are the times when we need to lay open our hearts to the Lord. If we take the time, He will show us the truth, and He will help us choose the truth.

May we become faithful as He is faithful.

One Bread, One Body

<< Thursday, November 19, 2009 >>

Saint of the Day

1 Maccabees 2:15-29
View Readings

Psalm 50:1-2, 5-6, 14-15

Luke 19:41-44

APOSTASY?

"The officers of the king in charge of enforcing the apostasy came to the city of Modein." —1 Maccabees 2:15

King Antiochus Epiphanes sent officers to enforce an apostasy. Almost all the Gentiles and even Jews forsook the religions of their fathers and consented to the king's orders (1 Mc 2:19). However, Mattathias, his family, and some others refused to depart from their "religion in the slightest degree" (1 Mc 2:22). Therefore, they were forced to flee to the mountains and leave behind all their possessions (1 Mc 1:28-29).

We also may be tempted to give up our faith. We may even be living during the mass apostasy, which will occur at the end of the world (2 Thes 2:3). To keep the faith as Mattathias and his followers did, we must be firmly founded on Jesus the Rock (see 1 Cor 3:11) by totally committing our lives to Him. We also need to be confirmed in our faith by the Holy Spirit. Moreover, we must come under the authority of the Church and especially of the pope. Finally, we should be sharing our faith. If we are giving our faith away, we will be able to keep it no matter what temptations and pressures we face.

Does Jesus see in you a faith that will fold or one that will stand? When He looks at you, do you bring a smile to His face or tears to His eyes? (see Lk 19:41)

Prayer: Father, give me the strength and courage to be persecuted and die for love of You.

Promise: "Let everyone who is zealous for the law and who stands by the covenant follow after me!" —1 Mc 2:27

Praise: By frequent prayer and sacraments Mary strives for holiness.

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 15 (16) The Lord, my inheritance

My body will rest in calm and hope.

Preserve me, Lord,

I put my hope in you.

I have said to the Lord

“You are my Lord,

in you alone is all my good.”

As for the holy and noble men of the land,

in them is all my delight.

But for those who run to alien gods,

their sorrows are many.

I will not share in their libations of blood.

I will not speak their names.

You, Lord, are my inheritance and my cup.

You control my destiny,

the lot marked out for me is of the best,

my inheritance is all I could ask for.

I will bless the Lord who gave me understanding;

even in the night my heart will teach me wisdom.

I will hold the Lord for ever in my sight:

with him at my side I can never be shaken.

Thus it is that my heart rejoices,

heart and soul together;

while my body rests in calm hope.

You will not leave my soul in the underworld.

You will not let your chosen one see decay.

You will show me the paths of life,

the fullness of joy before your face,

and delights at your right hand until the end of time.

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.

My body will rest in calm and hope.

Reading	1 Thessalonians 5:23

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you in every way and preserve your life and your soul and your body without blemish, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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.

Lord our God, we are tired by the work of the day. Refresh us with peaceful sleep and, forever renewed by the help you give, let us always be dedicated to you in body and mind.

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.