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 142 (143) A prayer in time of trouble

Lord, show me your mercy at daybreak.

Lord, listen to my prayer:

in your faithfulness turn your ear to my pleading;

in your justice, hear me.

Do not judge your servant:

nothing that lives can justify itself before you.

The enemy has hounded my spirit,

he has crushed my life to the ground,

he has shut me in darkness, like the dead of long ago.

So my spirit trembles within me,

my heart turns to stone.

I remind myself of the days of old,

I reflect on all your works,

I meditate once more on the work of your hands.

I stretch out my arms to you,

I stretch out my soul, like a land without water.

Come quickly and hear me, O Lord,

for my spirit is weakening.

Do not hide your face from me,

do not let me be like the dead,

who go down to the underworld.

Show me your mercy at daybreak,

because of my trust in you.

Tell me the way I should follow,

for I lift up my soul towards you.

Rescue me from my enemies:

Lord, I flee to you for refuge.

Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God.

Your good spirit will lead me to the land of justice;

for your name’s sake, Lord, you will give me life.

In your righteousness you will lead my soul

away from all tribulation.

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, show me your mercy at daybreak.

Canticle	(Isaiah 66)

Comfort and joy in the holy city

The Lord will bathe Jerusalem in a river of peace.

Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her, all you who love her;

rejoice with her, rejoice, all you who mourned for her.

Suck and be filled at the breast of her consolation;

draw on the nipples of her glory, and overflow with delights.

For the Lord says this:

Behold, I will bring her peace as if it were a river;

like an overflowing torrent, the glory of the Gentiles.

You will suck, be borne on her hips,

and they will caress you as you lie in her lap.

As a mother comforts its child, so shall I comfort you:

you will be comforted in Jerusalem.

You will see, and your heart will rejoice,

and your bones will flourish like living grass.

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 bathe Jerusalem in a river of peace.

Psalm 146 (147A) The Lord's goodness and power

Let us give joyful praise to our God.

Praise the Lord!

It is good to sing praise to our God;

it is a joy to sing his praises.

The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem:

he will call back Israel from exile.

He heals broken hearts

and binds up their wounds.

He counts all the stars;

he calls each of them by name.

Our God is great and great is his strength,

his wisdom is not to be measured.

The Lord supports the needy,

but crushes the wicked to the ground.

Sing out to the Lord in thanksgiving,

sing praise to our God on the harp.

He covers the sky with his clouds,

he makes rain to refresh the earth.

He makes grass grow on the hills,

and plants for the service of man.

He gives food to grazing animals,

and feeds the young ravens that call on him.

He takes no delight in the strength of the horse,

no pleasure in the strength of a man.

The Lord is pleased by those who honour him,

by those who trust in his kindness.

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 give joyful praise to our God.

Short reading	Romans 8:18-21 ©

What we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us. The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons. It was not for any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was made so by God; but creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God.

Short Responsory

At the break of day I will reflect on you, O Lord.

– At the break of day I will reflect on you, O Lord.

Lord, you have been my help.

– At the break of day I will reflect on you, O Lord.

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

– At the break of day I will reflect on you, O Lord.

Canticle	Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Lord, make your people know your salvation, and forgive us our sins.

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.

Lord, make your people know your salvation, and forgive us our sins.

Prayers and Intercessions

God has sent salvation to his people. Let us pray to him with joy:

– Lord, you are our life.

Blessed are you, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for in your compassion you have renewed us and given us living hope

by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

– Lord, you are our life.

You created man in your image and in Christ you renewed us:

shape us in the image of your Son.

– Lord, you are our life.

Our hearts are wounded by envy and hate:

fill them with the love that comes from the Holy Spirit.

– Lord, you are our life.

Give work to labourers today, bread to the hungry, consolation to the sad,

and grace and salvation to all men.

– Lord, you are our life.

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.

Lord, give us true knowledge of our salvation,

so that freed from the hands of our enemies

we may serve you without fear all the days of our lives.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

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

God for ever and ever.

Amen.

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

A M E N

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Mark 6:7-13

Jesus has just experienced rejection and lack of faith in his hometown (Mark 6:1-6).

Because these people have grown up with him and his relatives, they can’t believe there is anything special about him. Their skepticism makes it impossible for him to perform dramatic miracles. All he can do is heal a few individuals.

His followers observe Jesus closely. They see his surprise and sadness, but he doesn’t rail against the Nazarenes. He doesn’t spitefully turn his back on them or make their unbelief an object lesson by complaining to others about it. He simply moves on to people ready to welcome him.

Just after his own experience of rejection, Jesus sends his followers out to preach and heal. He knows some people will also reject his disciples. Some will make fun of these men who haven’t even equipped themselves for their journey. Some will turn aside, content with the way things have always been. Some will reach out for healing.

To prepare them, Jesus carefully spells out what they are to do when they experience their own rejection. Shake it off. Don’t let the dust of resentment, bitterness, guilt, regret, or blame cling to your feet, but move on unencumbered to the next task.

Even when we are sure we are saying what Jesus gives us to say and doing what he has called us to do, there is no guarantee that everyone will welcome our words and actions. Some will be touched, while others will not. God has blessed every human being with the freedom to choose wisely or poorly, and the life experiences of some make it difficult for them to open up to his love. We can count on God’s love for them, knowing that he will continue to call them and work with them long after we have moved on.

Jesus is also concerned about us as his messengers. He wants us to find our joy in him. He doesn’t want us to hang on to resentment or complain about how we’ve been treated. He doesn’t want rejection to wound and cripple us. Instead, he wants to encourage us and excite us every time we step out in faith—no matter what kind of response we receive.

“Lord, I want to be faithful in proclaiming your word and reaching out to people in healing love. Help me to let go of my concern about how they may react.”

1 Kings 2:1-4,10-12; (Psalm) 1 Chronicles 29:10-12

Secret Harbor ~ Portus Secretioris

04 February 2010

Inexpressible Equals Love

After the great biblical event of the Transfiguration, Peter said to Jesus: “Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses; and one for Elijah: not knowing what he said.” It is the “not knowing what he said” part that the Carthusian, Nicholas Kempf (circa 1415-1497) focuses on here in this brief reflection from his “Expositiones Mysticæ Cantica Canticorum.” And as that title suggests, Nicholas Kempf explains Peter’s words by using the Old Testament book of the Song of Songs, a book which is often commented on in mystical theology. Here’s what Nicholas Kempf wrote, which has an underlying theme of encouraging us to make efforts to keep advancing closer to God until we make senseless statements and thus become joyfully reduced to silence.

“The Song of Songs is obscure. It indicates that these songs sung between God and a soul chosen as bride and mated and united to God in the human spirit’s chamber, united in the very image of God are utterly mysterious and completely inexpressible. Not even the bride herself is able to express what she has perceived. When hearts have been moved to jubilation of this sort, the things that result within the spirit cannot be put into conventional and customary words. Just as people drunk with wine lose the ability to talk in a normal fashion, so the bride drunk with sober intoxication speaks in a way intelligible not to anyone and everyone, but only to lovers loving in a similar way. So too, after tasting the sweetness of glory, Peter did not know what he was saying.”

Vultus Christi

With Pope Benedict XVI: At the Throne of Grace

By

Father Mark

on February 4, 2010 9:51 AM |

The Holy Father's homily for Vespers on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is, as are all his homilies, a model of liturgical preaching. At the core of the Holy Father's message is the mystery of Christ, the Eternal High Priest. Consecrated men and women, be they hidden in the cloister, or engaged in the Church's mission to the world, are associated to the priestly mediatorship of the Lord Jesus and called, at every moment, to remain close to Him, at "the throne of grace."

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

The feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple is a celebration of a mystery of the life of Christ, linked to the precept of the Mosaic law that prescribed for parents, 40 days after the birth of their first-born, to go to the Temple of Jerusalem to offer their son to the Lord and for the ritual purification of the mother (cf Exodus 13:1-2.11-16; Leviticus 12:1-8).

The Only-Begotten Son Presented to Men

Mary and Joseph also fulfilled this rite, offering -- according to the law -- a couple of turtle doves or pigeons. Reading things in greater depth, we understand that at that moment it was God himself who presented his Only-begotten Son to men, through the words of the elderly Simeon and the prophetess Anna. Simeon, in fact, proclaimed Jesus as "salvation" of humanity, as "light" of all nations and "sign of contradiction," because he would reveal the thoughts of hearts (cf Luke 2:29-35).

The Feast of Meeting

In the East this feast was called Hypapante, feast of meeting: In fact, Simeon and Anna, who met Jesus in the Temple and recognized in him the Messiah so awaited, represent humanity that meets its Lord in the Church. Subsequently, this feast spread also to the West, developing above all the symbol of light, and the procession with candles, which gave origin to the term "Candlemas." With this visible sign one wishes to signify that the Church meets in faith him who is "the light of men" and receives him with all the impulse of her faith to take this "light" to the world.

A Life of Oblation

In concomitance with this liturgical feast, Venerable John Paul II, beginning in 1997, wished that the whole Church should celebrate a special Day of Consecrated Life. In fact, the oblation of the Son of God -- symbolized by his presentation in the Temple -- is the model for every man and woman that consecrates all his or her life to the Lord.

The purpose of this day is threefold: first of all to praise and thank the Lord for the gift of consecrated life; in the second place, to promote the knowledge and appreciation by all the People of God; finally, to invite all those who have fully dedicated their life to the cause of the Gospel to celebrate the marvels that the Lord has operated in them.

In thanking you for having gathered in such numbers, on this day dedicated particularly to you, I wish to greet each one of you with great affection: men and women religious and consecrated persons, expressing to you my cordial closeness and heartfelt appreciation for the good you do in the service of the People of God.

Christ the High Priest

The brief reading, which was just proclaimed, treats of the Letter to the Hebrews, which brings together well the motives that were at the origin of this significant and beautiful event and offers us some ideas for reflection. This text -- which has two verses, but very charged with significance -- opens the second part of the Letter to the Hebrews, introducing the central theme of Christ the high priest.

The Priestly Mediatorship of Christ

One should really consider as well the immediately preceding verse, which says: "Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession" (Hebrews 4:14). This verse shows Jesus who ascends to the Father; while the subsequent one presents him descending toward men. Christ is presented as the Mediator: He is true God and true man -- that is why he really belongs to the divine and to the human world.

In reality, it is properly and only from this faith, from this profession of faith in Jesus Christ, the only and definitive Mediator, that consecrated life has meaning in the Church, a life consecrated to God through Christ. It has meaning only if he is truly Mediator between God and us, otherwise it would only be a form of sublimation or evasion.

The Consecrated Person: A Bridge

If Christ was not truly God, and was not, at the same time, fully man, the foundation of Christian life as such would come to naught, and in an altogether particular way, the foundation of every Christian consecration of man and woman would come to naught. Consecrated life, in fact, witnesses and expresses in a "powerful" way the reciprocal seeking of God and man, the love that attracts them to one another. The consecrated person, by the very fact of his or her being, represents something like a "bridge" to God for all those he or she meets -- a call, a return. And all this by virtue of the mediation of Jesus Christ, the Father's Consecrated One. He is the foundation! He who shared our frailty so that we could participate in his divine nature.

Our text insists on more than on faith, but rather on "trust" with which we can approach the "throne of grace," from the moment that our high priest was himself "put to the test in everything like us." We can approach to "receive mercy," "find grace," and "to be helped in the opportune moment." It seems to me that these words contain a great truth and also a great comfort for us who have received the gift and commitment of a special consecration in the Church.

A Love So Great and Beautiful

I am thinking in particular of you, dear sisters and brothers. You approached with full trust the "throne of grace" that is Christ, his Cross, his Heart, to his divine presence in the Eucharist. Each one of you has approached him as the source of pure and faithful love, a love so great and beautiful as to merit all, in fact, more than our all, because a whole life is not enough to return what Christ is and what he has done for us. But you approached him, and every day you approach him, also to be helped in the opportune moment and in the hour of trial.

I am inserting at this point the image of an heroic French woman, religious, and mystic: Mother Yvonne-Aimée de Jésus (1901-1951). Yesterday, February 3rd, was, in fact, the anniversary of her death, her dies natalis. Like Saint Faustina in Poland, Mother Yvonne-Aimée was an extraordinary witnesse to the mercy of the Lord in the Church of the last century. She is, for all consecrated men and women, a model of burning love for Christ, humility in moments of misunderstanding and persecution, and greathearted hospitality. Among her many charisms -- almost too many to be catalogued -- Mother Yvonne-Aimée exercised a spiritual motherhood in favour of the souls of priests. This aspect of her rich life is abundantly documented in a book by her spiritual son, Father Paul Labutte, Yvonne-Aimée, ma mère selon l'Esprit. Personally, I have received many graces through the intercession and supernatural friendship of Mother Yvonne-Aimée. Her "little invocation," O Jesus, King of Love, I put my trust in Thy merciful goodness, has been for countless souls a means of inner healing and growth in holiness.

Witnesses of the Mercy of the Lord

Consecrated persons are called in a particular way to be witnesses of this mercy of the Lord, in which man finds his salvation. They have the vivid experience of God's forgiveness, because they have the awareness of being saved persons, of being great when they recognize themselves to be small, of feeling renewed and enveloped by the holiness of God when they recognize their own sin. Because of this, also for the man of today, consecrated life remains a privileged school of "compunction of heart," of the humble recognition of one's misery but, likewise, it remains a school of trust in the mercy of God, in his love that never abandons. In reality, the closer we come to God, and the closer one is to him, the more useful one is to others. Consecrated persons experience the grace, mercy and forgiveness of God not only for themselves, but also for their brothers, being called to carry in their heart and prayer the anxieties and expectations of men, especially of those who are far from God.

The Cloister and the Cross

In particular, communities that live in cloister, with their specific commitment of fidelity in "being with the Lord," in "being under the cross," often carry out this vicarious role, united to Christ of the Passion, taking on themselves the sufferings and trials of others and offering everything with joy for the salvation of the world.

At the Throne of Grace

Finally, dear friends, we wish to raise to the Lord a hymn of thanksgiving and praise for consecrated life itself. If it did not exist, how much poorer the world would be! Beyond the superficial valuations of functionality, consecrated life is important precisely for its being a sign of gratuitousness and of love, and this all the more so in a society that risks being suffocated in the vortex of the ephemeral and the useful (cf Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation. Consecrated Life, 105). Consecrated life, instead, witnesses to the superabundance of the Lord's love, who first "lost" his life for us. At this moment I am thinking of the consecrated persons who feel the weight of the daily effort lacking in human gratification, I am thinking of elderly men and women religious, the sick, of all those who feel difficulties in their apostolate. Not one of these is futile, because the Lord associates them to the "throne of grace." Instead, they are a precious gift for the Church and the world, thirsty for God and his Word.

The Year for Priests

Full of trust and gratitude, let us then also renew the gesture of the total offering of ourselves, presenting ourselves in the Temple. May the Year for Priests be a further occasion, for priests religious to intensify the journey of sanctification, and for all consecrated men and women, a stimulus to support and sustain their ministry with fervent prayer.

This year of grace will have a culminating moment in Rome, next June, in the international meeting of priests, to which I invite all those who exercise the Sacred Ministry. We approach the thrice Holy to offer our life and our mission, personal and community, of men and women consecrated to the Kingdom of God.

In the School of Mary

Let us carry out this interior gesture in profound spiritual communion with the Virgin Mary: while contemplating her in the act of presenting the Child Jesus in the Temple, we venerate her as the first and perfect consecrated one, carried by that God she carries in her arms; Virgin, poor and obedient, totally dedicated to us because totally of God. In her school, and with her maternal help, we renew our "here I am" and our "fiat." Amen.

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 143 (144) For victory and peace

The Lord is kindness and strength, and I trust in him.

Blessed be the Lord, my help,

who trains my hands for battle,

my fingers for war.

The Lord is kindness and strength,

my refuge and my liberator.

He is my shield, and I trust in him –

he places my people under his rule.

Lord, what is man, that you should take notice of him?

The son of man, that you should give him respect?

For man is as nothing,

his day is like a shadow that passes.

Lord, descend from your heavens,

touch the mountains so that they smoke.

Brandish your lightnings and scatter my enemies,

fire your arrows, sow confusion among them.

Send down your power from above,

raise me and free me from the flooding waters,

from the power of those of foreign race,

whose speeches are not to be trusted,

who lift up their hands in perjury.

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 kindness and strength, and I trust in him.

Psalm 143 (144)

Happy the people whose God is the Lord.

I will sing a new song to you, God:

I will sound your praise on the ten-stringed harp.

You give victory to kings,

you rescue David your servant

from the swords of his enemies.

Raise me and free me from the power of strangers,

whose speeches are not to be trusted,

who lift up their hands in perjury.

Our sons are like growing saplings

in the time of their youth.

Our daughters are like the carved columns

that hold up the temple.

Our larders are full, overflowing with goodness –

our sheep fill the fields in uncountable thousands –

our oxen are strong.

Our walls are not ruined and we are not exiles:

in our streets there is no lamentation.

Blessed the people whose life is like this:

happy the people whose God is 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.

Happy the people whose God is the Lord.

Canticle	Apocalypse 11

The Judgement

Now have come the salvation and kingdom of our God.

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.

Now have come the salvation and kingdom of our God.

Short reading	(Colossians 1:23) ©

Persevere and stand firm on the solid base of the faith. Never let yourselves drift away from the hope promised by the Good News, which you have heard, which has been preached to every created thing under Heaven.

Short Responsory

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

– The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

He has taken me to green pastures.

– The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

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

– The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Canticle	Magnificat

My soul rejoices in the Lord

The Lord has filled with good things all who hungered for justice.

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 filled with good things all who hungered for justice.

Prayers and Intercessions

In joyful devotion to Christ, light of the nations and joy of all that lives, we pray:

– Lord, give us light, and peace, and salvation.

Word of the Father, inexhaustible Light, you came to save all mankind:

guide and enlighten those who are soon to be baptized.

– Lord, give us light, and peace, and salvation.

Pay no attention, Lord, to our transgressions,

for in you is mercy and forgiveness.

– Lord, give us light, and peace, and salvation.

You created men’s minds to search out the secrets of nature and harness them:

may the arts and sciences be directed to the glory and the happiness of all.

– Lord, give us light, and peace, and salvation.

Take care of all who have dedicated their lives to serving their brethren:

give them freedom and endurance to complete their task.

– Lord, give us light, and peace, and salvation.

Lord, the gates that you open no-one can close:

lead into your light the dead who have fallen asleep in the hope of rising again.

– Lord, give us light, and peace, and 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.

Lord, accept our evening supplications.

Grant that, following in your Son’s footsteps,

we may yield, in time, a harvest of good works.

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

Sent With Authority

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Thursday, 4th week in OT

Father Alex Yeung, LC

Mark 6:7-13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick -- no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them." So they went off and preached repentance. They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

Introductory Prayer: Father, I come before you today hungry for all the graces you desire for me in this meditation. I believe in your goodness. I wish to become more like your son, Jesus Christ, every day. I want to live a life of self-giving love like Christ. Thank you for your grace.

Petition: Christ Jesus, grant me a spirit of teamwork in spreading your Gospel.

1. Silent Testimony Christ sent out his apostles in pairs. The fact that the Gospel mentions this detail shows that it is not just an accident. There are some passages in Matthew’s Gospel that can shed some light on this desire of Christ. First, “where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). The apostles are first and foremost called to witness to Christ by their example. They are to foster communion and charity among themselves, so that others, seeing how they interact with each other, will be led to exclaim, “See how they love one another!” The apostle-teams exhibited oneness of heart and soul, sharing in common what they were able to procure: lodging, success, failure. With such an attitude, Christ promises that he would be there in their midst.

2. Apostolic Teamwork “If you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses” (Matthew 18:16). The word of one person, who has witnessed a miraculous event alone, is often taken as no more than the word of a crazy man. However, if more than one person confesses to having witnessed the event, there is much stronger proof. The apostles went about witnessing to the things that Jesus was doing and the signs he was working: healing the sick, casting out demons, etc. It is wonderful to team up with fellow Christians in the workplace or in the family, in order to witness to the work of Christ in our lives.

3. Two is Better Than One Jesus makes it clear: with regard to the mission, another apostle is much more important than other material tools. Jesus teaches us here the principle of teamwork. An apostolic “colleague” helps us to be vigilant against dangers to our health and well-being (physical and spiritual). Prayer can be in community; Jesus assures that “if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). Working in a team also helps to improve apostolic efficacy: Each enriches the other with the exchange of knowledge, personal and lived experiences, and views on the situation. Each complements the other, contributing their God-given gifts, abilities and qualities. “Two heads are better than one.”

Conversation with Christ: You sent your apostles out in twos, Lord Jesus, to teach me about the importance of teamwork. Help me not presume that I am alone in the mission. When I try to do everything myself, sometimes it may be out of subtle pride. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the gift of apostolic colleagues. Increase in my heart true fraternal charity for those who work alongside me in building up your kingdom, so that the world may believe.

Resolution: I will make it a point to involve an apostolic colleague in my effort to help some friend or family member encounter Christ.

Homily of the Day

Are You in the Right Place?

February 4th, 2010 by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

1 Kgs 2:1-4,10-12 / Mk 6:7-13

The ordinariness and repetitiveness of daily life can cause us at times to question whether we are in the right place and doing something that’s worth doing. It’s a natural question, and a good one, because it can start us thinking about changes that really do need to be made. But more important, it can stimulate a process of reflection that can help us remember or see more clearly why we are where we are.

Today’s gospel story about the apostles being sent out to preach and teach and heal for the first time, brings to mind an interesting pattern in many of the stories about Jesus’ healing of the sick, blind, and lame. Quite often, the one who has been healed asks if he may join Jesus’ traveling band of apostles and disciples. And almost always Jesus says “no.” Instead, he tells the person to go home and give his full attention to what is at hand right there.

Most of us are not called to be nuns, priests, monks, or brothers. But all of us, by virtue of our baptism, have a special calling to build God’s kingdom right where we are. So when those “doubt days” come to you, don’t brush them aside, but seize them as an opportunity to ask the question: Am I really using all the gifts that God gave me to build up his kingdom right here and right now?

That’s a question whose answer can keep you busy for a whole lifetime!

One Bread, One Body

<< Thursday, February 4, 2010 >>

Saint of the Day

1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12
View Readings

1 Chronicles 29:10-12

Mark 6:7-13

THE LAST WORD

"I am going the way of all mankind." —1 Kings 2:2

David had an eventful life. He was very handsome. With his own hands, he killed both a lion and a bear. He beheaded the giant Goliath and won victory for the Israelite nation. David was the anointed king of Israel for forty years (1 Kgs 2:11). He escaped several attempts on his life. He was the most successful general in Israelite history. He won many wars and personally killed thousands of people. His kingdom survived a civil war. He had several wives and dozens of children. One of his children died shortly after birth. David saw 70,000 people die in three days because of his sin. He wrote many of the psalms. He was a gifted musician and dancer. He was a top-notch businessman and the standard by which all kings would be measured in Israelite history. To put it mildly, David had an eventful life.

When David lay on his deathbed, he looked back at his life of pleasure, power, violence, intrigue, sex, money, sin, blessing, worship, success, prosperity, etc. Then David looked at his son Solomon and all he had to say to him was: "Keep the mandate of the Lord, your God, following His ways and observing His statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees" (1 Kgs 2:3).

In the end, after all is said and done, the meaning of life is: "Obey God." What we have done in obedience to Him lasts forever; everything else passes away. Obey God. It's our duty and privilege to obey Him.

Prayer: Father, give me daily the grace to desire to obey You. Pour out Your Spirit on me so that I may always do Your will.

Promise: "They went off, preaching the need of repentance. They expelled many demons, anointed the sick with oil, and worked many cures." —Mk 6:12-13

Praise: Evelyn's faithful example eventually drew her wayward children back to their Lord.

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

Christ, thou who art the light and day,

Who chasest nightly shades away,

Thyself the Light of Light confessed,

And promiser of radiance blest:

O holy Lord, we pray to thee,

Throughout the night our guardian be;

In thee vouchsafe us to repose,

All peaceful till the night shall close.

O let our eyes due slumber take,

Our hearts to thee forever wake:

And let thy right hand from above

Shield us who turn to thee in love.

O strong defender, hear our prayers,

Repel our foes and break their snares,

And govern thou thy servants here,

Those ransomed with thy life-blood dear.

Almighty Father, this accord

Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord,

Who with the Holy Ghost and thee

Doth reign through all eternity.

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

	Ave Regina Caelorum

Hail, Queen of the heavens,

hail, Lady of the angels.

Root of our salvation

and our gateway to heaven,

the light of the world was born to you.

Be joyful, Virgin of glory,

most beautiful of all in heaven.

We greet you now, true beauty –

pray for us to Christ.

Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 6
7.	And he called the twelve; and began to send them two and two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.	Et vocavit duodecim : et cœpit eos mittere binos, et dabat illis potestatem spirituum immundorum.	και προσκαλειται τους δωδεκα και ηρξατο αυτους αποστελλειν δυο δυο και εδιδου αυτοις εξουσιαν των πνευματων των ακαθαρτων
8.	And he commanded them that they should take nothing for the way, but a staff only: no scrip, no bread, nor money in their purse,	Et præcepit eis ne quid tollerent in via, nisi virgam tantum : non peram, non panem, neque in zona æs,	και παρηγγειλεν αυτοις ινα μηδεν αιρωσιν εις οδον ει μη ραβδον μονον μη πηραν μη αρτον μη εις την ζωνην χαλκον
9.	But to be shod with sandals, and that they should not put on two coats.	sed calceatos sandaliis, et ne induerentur duabus tunicis.	αλλ υποδεδεμενους σανδαλια και μη ενδυσησθε δυο χιτωνας
10.	And he said to them: Wheresoever you shall enter into an house, there abide till you depart from that place.	Et dicebat eis : Quocumque introieritis in domum, illic manete donec exeatis inde :	και ελεγεν αυτοις οπου εαν εισελθητε εις οικιαν εκει μενετε εως αν εξελθητε εκειθεν
11.	And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you; going forth from thence, shake off the dust from your feet for a testimony to them.	et quicumque non receperint vos, nec audierint vos, exeuntes inde, excutite pulverem de pedibus vestris in testimonium illis.	και οσοι αν μη δεξωνται υμας μηδε ακουσωσιν υμων εκπορευομενοι εκειθεν εκτιναξατε τον χουν τον υποκατω των ποδων υμων εις μαρτυριον αυτοις αμην λεγω υμιν ανεκτοτερον εσται σοδομοις η γομορροις εν ημερα κρισεως η τη πολει εκεινη
12.	And going forth they preached that men should do penance:	Et exeuntes prædicabant ut pœnitentiam agerent :	και εξελθοντες εκηρυσσον ινα μετανοησωσιν
13.	And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.	et dæmonia multa ejiciebant, et ungebant oleo multos ægros, et sanabant.	και δαιμονια πολλα εξεβαλλον και ηλειφον ελαιω πολλους αρρωστους και εθεραπευον

(*) αμην λεγω υμιν ανεκτοτερον εσται σοδομοις η γομορροις εν ημερα κρισεως η τη πολει εκεινη (Amen I tell you easier it would be for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgement than for that town) is missing from the translations.

7. And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
8. And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
9. But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.
10. And He said to them, In what place soever you enter into an house, there abide till you depart from that place.
11. And whoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when you depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
12. And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
13. And they cast out many devils, and annointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

BEDE; Now our kind and merciful Lord and Master did not grudge His servants and their disciples His own virtues, and as He Himself had healed every sickness and every infirmity, so also He gave the same power to His disciples. Wherefore it goes on: And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits. Great is the difference between giving and receiving. Whatever He does is done in His own power, as Lord; if they do anything, they confess their own weakness and the power of the Lord, saying in the name of Jesus, Arise, and walk.

THEOPHYL. Again He sends the Apostles two and two that they might become more active; for, as say's the Preacher, Two are better than one. But if He had sent more than two, that there would not have been a sufficient number to allow of their being sent to many villages.

GREG. Further, the Lord sent the disciples to preach, two and two, because there are two precepts of charity, namely, the love of God, and of our neighbor, and charity cannot be between less than two; by this therefore He implies to us, that he who has not charity towards his neighbor, ought in no way to take upon himself the office of preaching. There follows, And he commanded them, that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: but be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.

BEDE; For such should be the preacher's trust in God, that, though He takes no thought for supplying his own wants in this present world, yet he should feel most certain that these will not be left unsatisfied lest whilst his mind is taken up with temporal things, he should provide less of eternal things to others.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. The Lord also gives them this command, that they might show by their mode of life, how far removed they were from the desire of riches.

THEOPHYL. Instructing them also by this means not to be fond of receiving gifts, in order too that these, who saw them preach poverty, might be reconciled to it when they saw that the Apostles themselves possessed nothing.

AUG. Or else; according to Matthew, the Lord immediately subjoined, The workman is worthy of his meat, which sufficiently proves why He forbade their carrying or possessing such things, not because they were not necessary, but because he sent them in such a way as to show, that they were due to them from the faithful, to whom they preached the Gospel. From this it is evident, that the Lord did not mean by this precept that the Evangelists ought to live only on the gifts of those to whom they preach the Gospel, else the Apostle transgressed this precept when He procured his livelihood, the labor of his own hands, but He meant that He had given them a power, in virtue of which, they might be assured, these things were due to them.

It is also often asked, how it comes that Matthew and Luke have related that the Lord commanded His disciples no to carry even a staff, whilst Mark says, And he commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only. Which question is solved, by supposing that the word 'staff' has a meaning in Mark, who says that it ought to be carried, different from that which it bears in Matthew and Luke, who affirm the contrary.

For in a concise way one might say, Take none of the necessaries of life with you, nay, not a staff, save a staff only; so that the saying, nay not a staff; may mean, nay not the smallest thing; but that which is added, save a staff only, may mean that, through the power received by them from the Lord, of which a rod is the ensign, nothing, even of those things which they do not carry, will be wanting to them. The Lord therefore said both, but because one Evangelist has not given both, men suppose, that he who has said that the staff, in one sense, should be taken, is contrary to him who again has declared, that, in another sense, it should be left behind: now however that a reason has been given, let no one think so.

So also when Matthew declares that shoes are not to be worn on the journey, he forbids anxiety about them, for the reason why men are anxious about carrying them, is that they may not be without them. This is also to be understood of the two coats, that no man should be troubled about having only that with which He is clad, from anxiety lest He should need another, when he could always obtain one from the power given by the Lord.

In like manner Mark, by saying that they are to be shod with sandals or soles, warns us that this mode of protecting the foot has a mystical signification, that the foot should neither be covered above nor be naked on the ground, that is, that the Gospel should neither be hid, nor rest upon earthly comforts; and in that He forbids their possessing or taking with them, or more expressly their wearing, two coats, He bids them walk simply, not in duplicity. But whoever thinks that the Lord could not in the same discourse say some things figuratively, others in a literal sense, let him look into His other discourses, and he shall see, how rash and ignorant is his judgment.

BEDE; Again, by the two tunics, He seems to me to mean two sets of clothes; not that in places like Scythia, covered with the ice and snow, a man should be content with only one garment, but by coat, I think a suit of clothing is implied, that being clad with one, we should not keep another through anxiety as to what may happen.

PSEUD-CHRYS. Or else, Matthew and Luke neither allow shoes nor staff; which is meant to point out the highest perfection. But Mark bids themselves take a staff and be shod with sandals, which is spoken by permission.

BEDE; Again, allegorically; under the figure of a scrip is pointed out the burdens of this world, by bread is meant temporal delights, by money in the purse, the hiding of wisdom; because he who receives the office of a doctor, should neither be weighed down by the burden of worldly affairs, nor be made soft by carnal desires, nor hide the talent of the word committed to him under the ease of an inactive body. It goes on, And he said unto them, In what place soever you enter into a house, there abide till you depart from that place. Where He gives a general precept of constancy, that they should look to what is due to the tie of hospitality, adding, that it is inconsistent with the preaching of the kingdom of heaven to run about from house to house.

THEOPHYL. That is, lest they should be accused of gluttony in passing from one to another. It goes on, And whoever shall not receive you, &c. This the Lord commands them, that they might show that they had walked a long way for their sakes, and to no purpose. Or, because they received nothing from them, not even dust, which they shake off, that it might be a testimony against them, that is, by way of convicting them.

PSEUD-CHRYS. Or else, that it might be a witness of the toil of the way, which they sustained for them; or as if the dust of the sins of the preachers was turned against themselves. It goes on, And they went and preached that men should repent.

And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. Mark alone mentions their anointing with oil. James however, in his canonical Epistle, says a thing similar. For oil both refreshes our labors, and gives us light and joy; but again, oil signifies the mercy of the unction of God, the healing of infirmity, and the enlightening of the heart, the whole of which is worked by prayer.

THEOPHYL. It also means, the grace of the Holy Ghost, by which we are eased from our labors, and receive light and spiritual joy.

BEDE; Wherefore it is evident from the Apostles themselves, that it is an ancient custom of the holy Church that persons possessed or afflicted with any disease whatever, should be anointed with oil consecrated by priestly blessing.

Catena Aurea Mark 6

Extreme Unction

Giuseppe Maria Crespi

1712
Oil on canvas, 127 x 95 cm
Gemäldegalerie, Dresden