Feb 27, Midday Prayer for Monday of the 1st week of Lent

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II:
Ordinary: 1054
Proper of Seasons: 99 (Midday)
Psalter: Monday, Week I, 1111

Midday Prayer for Monday of the First Week of Lent

God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

HYMN

Help us, O Lord, to learn
the truths thy word imparts:
to study that thy laws may be
inscribed upon our hearts.

Help us, O Lord, to live
the faith which we proclaim,
that all our thoughts and words and deeds
may glorify thy name.

Help us, O Lord, to teach
the beauty of thy ways,
that yearning souls may find the Christ,
and sing aloud his praise.

“Help us, O Lord, to learn” performed by Choir of the Abbey School Tewkesbury; Words: William Watkins Reid, Jr. © 1959; Music: Sandys, Dominica, St. Ethelwald, St. Michael, Day of Praise, Falcon Street;

PSALMODY

Ant. As I live, says the Lord, I do not wish the sinner to die but to turn back to me and live.

Psalm 19B
Praise of God who gave us the law of love
You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).

The law of the Lord is perfect,
it revives the soul.
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,
it gives wisdom to the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right,
they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear,
it gives light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is holy,
abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth
and all of them just.

They are more to be desired than gold,
than the purest of gold,
and sweeter are they than honey,
than honey from the comb.

So in them your servant finds instruction;
great reward is in their keeping.
But who can detect all his errors?
From hidden faults acquit me.

From presumption restrain your servant
and let it not rule me.
Then shall I be blameless,
clean from grave sin.

May the spoken words of my mouth,
the thoughts of my heart,
win favor in your sight, O Lord,
my rescuer, my rock!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

May our words in praise of your commandments find favor with you, Lord. May our faith prove we are not slaves, but sons, not so much subjected to your law as sharing your power.

Psalm 7
Prayer of a God-fearing man who is being calumniated
Here stands the Judge, at our very door (James 5:9).

I

Lord God, I take refuge in you.
From my pursuer save me and rescue me,
lest he tear me to pieces like a lion
and drag me off with no one to rescue me.

Lord God, if my hands have done wrong,
if I have paid back evil for good,
I who saved my unjust oppressor:
then let my foe pursue me and seize me,
let him trample my life to the ground
and lay my soul in the dust.
Lord, rise up in your anger,
rise against the fury of my foes;
my God, awake! You will give judgment.

Let the company of nations gather round you,
taking your seat above them on high.
The Lord is judge of the peoples.

Give judgment for me, Lord; I am just
and innocent of heart.
Put an end to the evil of the wicked!
Make the just stand firm,
you who test mind and heart,
O just God!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Father, you weigh what is in our hearts. Free us from oppressors, and, as we wait for your day of judgment, set a firm guard on our thoughts, so that while we return good for evil, we may still praise your kind of justice.

II

God is the shield that protects me,
who saves the upright of heart.
God is a just judge
slow to anger;
but he threatens the wicked every day,
men who will not repent.

God will sharpen his sword;
he has braced his bow and taken aim.
For them he has prepared deadly weapons;
he barbs his arrows with fire.

Here is one who is pregnant with malice,
conceives evil and brings forth lies.
He digs a pitfall, digs it deep;
and in the trap he has made he will fall.

His malice will recoil on himself;
on his own head his violence will fall.
I will thank the Lord for his justice:
I will sing to the Lord, the Most High.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

You know our hearts, Lord, but you are slow to anger and merciful in judging. Come, examine your Church, wash her clean of sin, and great crowds will surround you with songs of praise.

Ant. As I live, says the Lord, I do not wish the sinner to die but to turn back to me and live.

READING Ezekiel 18:23

Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord God. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live?

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)
A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

Turn your face away from my sins.
– Blot out all my guilt.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Convert us,
O God our Savior,
and instruct our minds by heavenly teaching,
that we may benefit from the works of Lent.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.

Feb 27, Evening Prayer for Monday of the 1st week of Lent

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II:
Ordinary: 1064
Proper of Seasons: 100
Psalter: Monday, Week I, 1115

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 694
Proper of Seasons: 273
Psalter: Monday, Week I, 723

Evening Prayer for Monday in the First Week of Lent

God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

HYMN

Ah, holy Jesus, how hast Thou offended,
That man to judge Thee hath in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by Thine own rejected,
O most afflicted.

Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon Thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone Thee.
’Twas I, Lord, Jesus, I it was denied Thee!
I crucified Thee.

Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;
The slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered;
For man’s atonement, while he nothing heedeth,
God intercedeth.

For me, kind Jesus, was Thy incarnation,
Thy mortal sorrow, and Thy life’s oblation;
Thy death of anguish and Thy bitter passion,
For my salvation.

Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay Thee,
I do adore Thee, and will ever pray Thee,
Think on Thy pity and Thy love unswerving,
Not my deserving.

Ah, holy, Jesu, how thou hast offended; Words: Johann Heerman, Devoti Musica Cordis, 1630 (Herzliebster Jesu); translated from German to English by Robert S. Bridges, 1899.
“Ah, holy, Jesu, how thou hast offended” by Choir of the Abbey School Tewkesbury is available from Amazon.com

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 The Lord looks tenderly on those who are poor.

Psalm 11
God is the unfailing support of the just
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice; they shall be satisfied (Matthew 5:6).

In the Lord I have taken my refuge.
How can you say to my soul:
“Fly like a bird to its mountain.

See the wicked bracing their bow;
they are fixing their arrows on the string
to shoot upright men in the dark.
Foundations once destroyed, what can the just do?”

The Lord is in his holy temple,
the Lord, whose throne is in heaven.
His eyes look down on the world;
his gaze tests mortal men.

The Lord tests the just and the wicked;
the lover of violence he hates.
He sends fire and brimstone on the wicked;
he sends a scorching wind as their lot.

The Lord is just and loves justice;
the upright shall see his face.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Lord God, you search the hearts of all, both the good and the wicked. May those who are in danger for love of you, find security in you now, and, in the day of judgment, may they rejoice in seeing you face to face.

Ant. The Lord looks tenderly on those who are poor.

Ant. 2 Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.

Psalm 15
Who is worthy to stand in God’s presence?
You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (Hebrews 12:22).

Lord, who shall be admitted to your tent
and dwell on your holy mountain?

He who walks without fault;
he who acts with justice
and speaks the truth from his heart;
he who does not slander with his tongue;

He who does no wrong to his brother,
who casts no slur on his neighbor,
who holds the godless in disdain,
but honors those who fear the Lord;

he who keeps his pledge, come what may;
who takes no interest on a loan
and accepts no bribes against the innocent.
Such a man will stand firm forever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Make our lives blameless, Lord. Help us to do what is right and to speak what is true, that we may dwell in your tent and find rest on your holy mountain.

Ant. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.

Ant. 3 God chose us in his Son to be his adopted children.

Canticle – Ephesians 1:3-10
God our Savior

Praised be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has bestowed on us in Christ
every spiritual blessing in the heavens.

God chose us in him
before the world began
to be holy
and blameless in his sight.

He predestined us
to be his adopted sons through Jesus Christ,
such was his will and pleasure,
that all might praise the glorious favor
he has bestowed on us in his beloved.

In him and through his blood, we have been redeemed,
and our sins forgiven,
so immeasurably generous
is God’s favor to us.

God has given us the wisdom
to understand fully the mystery,
the plan he was pleased
to decree in Christ.

A plan to be carried out
in Christ, in the fulness of time,
to bring all things into one in him,
in the heavens and on earth.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. God chose us in his Son to be his adopted children.

READING Romans 12:1-2

Brothers, I beg you through the mercy of God
to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice
holy and acceptable to God, your spiritual worship.
Do not conform youselves to this age
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind
so that you may judge what is God’s will,
what is good, pleasing and perfect.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

RESPONSORY

To you, O Lord, I make my prayers for mercy.
– To you, O Lord, I make my prayers for mercy.

Heal my soul for I have sinned agains you
– I make my prayers for mercy.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– To you, O Lord, I make my prayers for mercy.

CANTICLE OF MARY

Ant. Whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me.

Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me.

INTERCESSIONS

Our Lord Jesus Christ has saved us from our sins,
as his people let us call out to him
– Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.

Lord Christ we pray for your Holly Church, you gave yourself up to make it holly, cleansing it with water and the life giving word,
renew it constantly and purify it by penance
– Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.

Good Master show young people the way you have chosen for each of them,
may them walk in it and find fulfillment
– Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.

In your compassion you healed all forms of sickness bring hope to the sick and raise them up,
teach us to love and care for them
– Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.

Make us mindful of the dignity you gave us in baptism,
may we live for you at every moment
– Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.

May the dead rise to glory in your peace,
grant us with them a share in your kingdom.
– Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on 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.

Concluding Prayer

Convert us,
O God our Savior,
and instruct our minds by heavenly teaching,
that we may benefit from the works of Lent.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.

Feb 27, Night Prayer for Monday of the 1st week of Lent

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol II:
Page 1632

Christian Prayer
Page 1041

General instruction:
Please pray with us actively, especially by joining with us in saying antiphons and responses, most of which are indicated in this highlight.

Consider an examination of your own conscience before beginning to best make use of our time together in prayer.

Night Prayer for Monday in Lent

God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Examination of conscience:
We are called to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men, in our hearts and in our minds, in our actions and inactions. To do so, it is vital that we examine our conscience daily and to ask for God’s mercy as we fall short and to ask for His strength to do better.

Lord Jesus,
you came to reconcile us to one another and to the Father:
Lord, have mercy.
– Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus,
you heal the wounds of sin and division:
Christ, have mercy.
– Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus,
you intercede for us with your Father:
Lord, have mercy.
– Lord, have mercy.

HYMN

Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all!
How can I love Thee as I ought?
And how revere this wondrous gift,
So far surpassing hope or thought?

Refrain:
Sweet Sacrament, we Thee adore!
Oh, make us love Thee more and more.
Oh, make us love Thee more and more.

Had I but Mary’s sinless heart
With which to love Thee, dearest King,
Oh, with what ever fervent praise,
Thy goodness, Jesus, would I sing!

Refrain

Oh, see upon the altar placed,
The Victim of divinest love!
Let all the earth below adore,
And join the choirs of heaven above.

Refrain (X2)

“Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All”; Artist: The Cathedral Singers, Richard Proulx (conductor); Father Frederick William Faber wrote numerous hymns, including the popular “Faith of our fathers” as well as this beautiful hymn of praise to Jesus in the Sacrament of His Love.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 O Lord, our God, unwearied is your love for us.

Psalm 86
Poor man’s prayer in trouble
Blessed be God who comforts us in all our trials (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4).

Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer
for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am faithful;
save the servant who trusts in you.

You are my God, have mercy on me, Lord,
for I cry to you all day long.
Give joy to your servant, O Lord,
for to you I lift up my soul.

O Lord, you are good and forgiving,
full of love to all who call.
Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my voice.

In the day of distress I will call
and surely you will reply.
Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord;
nor work to compare with yours.

All the nations shall come to adore you
and glorify your name, O Lord:
for you are great and do marvelous deeds,
you who alone are God.

Show me, Lord, your way
so that I may walk in your truth.
Guide my heart to fear your name.

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart
and glorify your name for ever;
for your love to me has been great:
you have saved me from the depths of the grave.

The proud have risen against me;
ruthless men seek my life;
to you they pay no heed.

But you, God of mercy and compassion,
slow to anger, O Lord,
abounding in love and truth,
turn and take pity on me.

O give your strength to your servant
and save your handmaid’s son.
Show me the sign of your favor
that my foes may see to their shame
that you console me and give me your help.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. O Lord, our God, unwearied is your love for us.

READING 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

God has destined us for acquiring salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us, that all of us, whether awake or asleep, together might live with him.

RESPONSORY

Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

You have redeemed us, Lord God of truth.
– I commend my spirit.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

CANTICLE OF SIMEON

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

Luke 2:29-32
Christ is the light of the nations and the glory of Israel

Lord, now you let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:

my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:

a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

Concluding Prayer

Lord,
give our bodies restful sleep
and let the work we have done today
bear fruit in eternal life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

BLESSING

May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death.
– Amen.

Antiphon or song in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy!
Our life, our sweetness, and our hope!
To you do we cry, poor banished
children of Eve, to you do we send
up our sighs, mourning and weeping
in this valley, of tears.
Turn, then, most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us; and
after this our exile show unto us the
blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus;
O clement, O loving, O sweet virgin Mary.

Information: St. Angela Merici

Feast Day:	January 27
Born:	21 March 1474, Desenzano del Garda, Province of Brescia, Lombardy, Italy
Died:	27 January 1540, Brescia, Lombardy, Italy
Canonized:	May 24, 1807, Rome by Pope Pius VII
Major Shrine:	The Merician Centre (including the now subterranean Church of St Afra, Brescia, Lombardy, Italy)
Patron of:	sickness, handicapped people, loss of parents

Saint Anne Line of England

Saint Anne Line
A while ago, a friend contacted me and said, “we ought to find out about Anne Line!” She had learned something of her story and wanted to know more. We set out together by car from my house in the southern suburbs and -- after, I’m afraid, a couple of dreadful muddles -- we eventually arrived at Dunmow in Essex on the other side of London, where Anne, who was martyred in 1601, is honored.

She grew up at Dunmow, the daughter of William Heigham, who was a staunch supporter of Calvinist doctrines, and who disowned both her and her brother when they announced their conversion to Catholicism as young adults. Anne married a fellow convert, Roger Line, but their time together was short, as not long after the wedding he was arrested for attending Mass -- at that time a serious offense -- and exiled. He died abroad in 1594.

Anne devoted the rest of her life to harboring priests and making arrangements for them to say Mass. It is thanks to women of her caliber that the Faith was preserved in England, and the risks she took were great. Eventually, she was arrested when she had arranged for Mass to be celebrated by a Jesuit, Father Francis Page, in her house. It was Candlemas Day, 1601. Tried at the Old Bailey, she was hanged on February 27, 1601, affirming her faith and refusing to express regret at having helped a priest.

Today, there are two churches in Essex named after Anne Line -- both modern and very ugly, but with real devotion to the saint. On our little pilgrimage, we visited both of these, met with great friendliness -- cups of tea, warm welcome from clergy and from various parishioners who were about -- and realized that there is a genuine local cult that reflects a real gratitude for the gift of the Catholic Faith that has been passed on to us.

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

Feast Day: February 27
Born: 1838 : : Died: 1862

This lovable saint was born at Assisi in Italy. He received the name Francis at Baptism, in honor of the great St. Francis of Assisi. His mother died when he was only four years old. Francis' father hired a governess to raise his thirteen children.

Francis Possenti grew to be very handsome and likable. He was often the most popular person at a party. He loved to have fun and enjoyed hunting and attending the theater. But there was another side to him, too. Even while having good times, he was sometimes bored. He couldn't explain why.

He seemed to feel in his heart a strong desire for God and the deeper things of life. Twice he became so sick he nearly died. Each time he promised Our Lady that if she would help cure him, he would become a priest. He got better both times, but he did not keep his promise.

One day, he saw a picture of the Sorrowful Mother that was being carried in a procession. It seemed that the Blessed Mother was looking straight at him. At the same time, he heard a voice in his heart telling him, "Francis, the world is not for you anymore."

That did it. At the age of eighteen, Francis entered the Passionist monastery and took the name Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother. The Passionists were preachers of the Passion of Jesus.

Gabriel's great loves became the Holy Eucharist and Mary, the Sorrowful Mother. He loved to spend time thinking about the passion of Jesus and how much the Lord had suffered for him. His great devotion to Mary also caused him to think deeply about her sorrows over the suffering of Jesus.

Gabriel learned to practice two virtues in a special way: humility and obedience. His special trademark was joy. He was always happy and spread that happiness to those around him.

After only four years in the Passionist order, Gabriel died of tuberculosis on February 27, 1862 at Abruzzi in Italy. After his death many miracles took place when people prayed to him.

Message of Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother: Love Mary!... She is loveable, faithful, constant. She will never let herself be outdone in love, but will ever remain supreme. If you are in danger, she will hasten to free you. If you are troubled, she will console you. If you are sick, she will bring you relief. If you are in need, she will help you. She does not look to see what kind of person you have been. She simply comes to a heart that wants to love her. She comes quickly and opens her merciful heart to you, embraces you and consoles and serves you. She will even be at hand to accompany you on the trip to eternity.

Catholic

Almanac:

Monday, February 27
Liturgical Color: Violet
Today the Church honors St. Anne Line. St. Anne lived in England during a time of great Catholic persecution. She allowed Catholics to gather at her house for Mass. St. Anne was arrested for harboring priests and hanged on this day in 1601.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Matthew 25:31-46

“Inherit the kingdom prepared for you.” (Matthew 25:34)

The sheep are puzzled. “What did we do to deserve such a wonderful thing as the kingdom?” they ask. “When did we ever see you hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, or in prison? When did we ever minister to your needs?” (Matthew 25:37-39).

Jesus’ answer is simple: “Do you remember all the times when you served the hungry? When you visited the sick in the hospital? When you donated to the food bank or delivered clothes to the homeless shelter? Every time you did these things, you did it for me. So come in and receive the reward for all your works of loving service.”

Imagine what it must feel like to hear Jesus tell you: “Come, enter the kingdom you’ve spent your life building. You’ll feel right at home!”

The truth is, the kingdom that Jesus describes in this parable is very much like the kingdom that these “sheep” have been building. They have been laboring to create an environment where there is no more suffering, no more hunger or want, no more sadness or isolation. They have been pouring themselves out so that everyone is treated with the dignity and honor befitting a beloved child of God. Isn’t that what heaven is going to be like?

In that kingdom, there will be no more thirst because everyone will have access to clean water— and access to the Living Water of the Spirit. In heaven, every injustice will be wiped away. There will be no more ragged refugees driven from their homeland by violence or famine. Everyone will be clothed in a garment of dignity perfectly fitted to his or her unique nature. No one will be wrongfully imprisoned or exiled , and those who were justly imprisoned will not be forsaken but will be forgiven and restored.

Isn’t this the life we all long for? Well, if we want it so badly, let’s go out and start building it! Let’s reach out our hands to each other. It may surprise us, but it shouldn’t—to find Jesus reaching his hands down to us and filling our efforts with his own divine power and grace. After all, he wants to see this kingdom even more than we do!

“Jesus, you promised to prepare a place for us in your kingdom. Help us prepare to be at home there by the way we cherish the least of your brothers and sisters.”

Leviticus 19:1-2,11-18; Psalm 19:8-10,15

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for February 27, 2012:

Personality is like eye color – there’s not a right or wrong kind. It’s also not crucial that couples be the same. Often, however, arguments start when we expect our spouse to think and act just like us. If you’ve never taken a personality inventory, try the audit on this website.

Regnum Christi

Holiness and Community

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

February 27, 2012

Monday of the First Week of Lent

Father Alex Yeung, LC

Matthew 25:31-46

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ´Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.´ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ´Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?´ And the king will say to them in reply, ´Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.´ Then he will say to those on his left, ´Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.´ Then they will answer and say, ´Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?´ He will answer them, ´Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.´ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are my Savior and Redeemer. I place all my hope and trust in your divine heart. United to you, all things are possible — even my holiness. With childlike faith and trusting you without limits, I know that I will experience the triumph of your grace in my life. I wish to grow in holiness today, so that I will love you, my God, above all else. Amen.

Petition: Lord, help me to appreciate that growth in holiness occurs within a Christian community.

1. Holiness is Essentially Seeking the Good of Others: The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “charity is the soul of the holiness to which all are called: it ‘governs, shapes and perfects all the means of sanctification.’” And quoting St. Therese of Lisieux, it reminds us:

If the Church was a body composed of different members, it couldn´t lack the noblest of all; it must have a heart, and a heart burning with love. And I realized that this love alone was the true motive force which enabled the other members of the Church to act; if it ceased to function, the apostles would forget to preach the Gospel, the martyrs would refuse to shed their blood. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 826).

In today’s Gospel Jesus grants eternal life to those who did good to others, whom he identifies as his very self. Contrariwise, he sends to eternal damnation those who did nothing to help others, whom he identifies as his very self.

2. Holiness Necessarily Entails a Dedication to the Christian Mission: Hand-in-hand with genuine charity is our sense of Christian mission. There is no genuine holiness apart from a radical orientation toward the spiritual and material good of others. In a word: there is no holiness without mission. As Pope John Paul II reminds us:

The universal call to holiness is closely linked to the universal call to mission. Every member of the faithful is called to holiness and to mission. This was the earnest desire of the [Second Vatican] Council, which hoped to be able “to enlighten all people with the brightness of Christ, which gleams over the face of the Church, by preaching the Gospel to every creature.” The Church´s missionary spirituality is a journey toward holiness … (Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio, 90).

Our times cry out for this kind of holiness, one enflamed by the ardent determination to bring as many of our brothers and sisters as possible to Christ.

3. Holiness Occurs Within the Christian Community: This universal call to holiness and mission is meant to be fostered within the context of a Christian community. We are meant to spur each other on by our devotion, good example, generosity and encouragement.

Dear brothers and sisters: let us remember the missionary enthusiasm of the first Christian communities. Despite the limited means of travel and communication in those times, the proclamation of the Gospel quickly reached the ends of the earth. And this was the religion of a man who had died on a cross, ‘a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles’! (I Corinthians 1:23). Underlying this missionary dynamism was the holiness of the first Christians and the first communities (Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio, 90).

Do I strive to build up my family and Christian community with missionary awareness? Do I value the example and help I receive, and do I strive to help others along this same path of holiness?

Conversation with Christ: Lord, make my holiness real. Let it be characterized by a heartfelt, growing and universal love for all people. Let my heart beat in unison with yours. Open my eyes to all the good that I can do for my brothers and sisters, and don’t allow me to walk away from any opportunity to show this world your love. Amen.

Resolution: I will take some time today to examine my conscience and honestly assess the spontaneity, depth and extension of my charity towards others, especially those I supposedly love the most.

Be Holy

First Reading: Lv 19:1-2, 11-18
Psalm: Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15
Gospel: Mt 25:31-46

The readings today get down to the basics of the spiritual life. As a matter of fact, however, the basics appear to be quite advanced: “Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy.” The measure of our holiness is to be the holiness of God. Holiness in the Old Testament connotes not piety but difference or separation. God is all holy. He is totally other. We are to be holy because he is holy. The values we live by are to be totally other; they are to be the antithesis of the values that our world cherishes: materialism and capitalism.

Read through today’s first reading and notice the thrust of the prohibitions. They are all concerned with justice and charity. Do not steal, defraud or rob your neighbor. Do not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer. Do not curse the deaf. Do not put a stumbling block in the way of the blind. Do not render judgment dishonest ly. Do not hate your brother. Take no revenge. Hold no grudges against your countrymen. The readings today remind us not to stand by idly when our neighbor’s life is at stake. The basis for divine judgment is not simply the good and the evil we have done. According to Christ there is another basis for judgment: the good we could have done but failed to do.

Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 25
31.	And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty.	Cum autem venerit Filius hominis in majestate sua, et omnes angeli cum eo, tunc sedebit super sedem majestatis suæ :	οταν δε ελθη ο υιος του ανθρωπου εν τη δοξη αυτου και παντες οι αγιοι αγγελοι μετ αυτου τοτε καθισει επι θρονου δοξης αυτου
32.	And all nations shall be gathered together before him, and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats:	et congregabuntur ante eum omnes gentes, et separabit eos ab invicem, sicut pastor segregat oves ab hædis :	και συναχθησεται εμπροσθεν αυτου παντα τα εθνη και αφοριει αυτους απ αλληλων ωσπερ ο ποιμην αφοριζει τα προβατα απο των εριφων
33.	And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.	et statuet oves quidem a dextris suis, hædos autem a sinistris.	και στησει τα μεν προβατα εκ δεξιων αυτου τα δε εριφια εξ ευωνυμων
34.	Then shall the king say to them that shall be on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.	Tunc dicet rex his qui a dextris ejus erunt : Venite benedicti Patris mei, possidete paratum vobis regnum a constitutione mundi :	τοτε ερει ο βασιλευς τοις εκ δεξιων αυτου δευτε οι ευλογημενοι του πατρος μου κληρονομησατε την ητοιμασμενην υμιν βασιλειαν απο καταβολης κοσμου
35.	For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in:	esurivi enim, et dedistis mihi manducare : sitivi, et dedistis mihi bibere : hospes eram, et collegistis me :	επεινασα γαρ και εδωκατε μοι φαγειν εδιψησα και εποτισατε με ξενος ημην και συνηγαγετε με
36.	Naked, and you covered me: sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me.	nudus, et cooperuistis me : infirmus, et visitastis me : in carcere eram, et venistis ad me.	γυμνος και περιεβαλετε με ησθενησα και επεσκεψασθε με εν φυλακη ημην και ηλθετε προς με
37.	Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and fed thee; thirsty, and gave thee drink?	Tunc respondebunt ei justi, dicentes : Domine, quando te vidimus esurientem, et pavimus te : sitientem, et dedimus tibi potum ?	τοτε αποκριθησονται αυτω οι δικαιοι λεγοντες κυριε ποτε σε ειδομεν πεινωντα και εθρεψαμεν η διψωντα και εποτισαμεν
38.	And when did we see thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and covered thee?	quando autem te vidimus hospitem, et collegimus te : aut nudum, et cooperuimus te ?	ποτε δε σε ειδομεν ξενον και συνηγαγομεν η γυμνον και περιεβαλομεν
39.	Or when did we see thee sick or in prison, and came to thee?	aut quando te vidimus infirmum, aut in carcere, et venimus ad te ?	ποτε δε σε ειδομεν ασθενη η εν φυλακη και ηλθομεν προς σε
40.	And the king answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.	Et respondens rex, dicet illis : Amen dico vobis, quamdiu fecistis uni ex his fratribus meis minimis, mihi fecistis.	και αποκριθεις ο βασιλευς ερει αυτοις αμην λεγω υμιν εφ οσον εποιησατε ενι τουτων των αδελφων μου των ελαχιστων εμοι εποιησατε
41.	Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels.	Tunc dicet et his qui a sinistris erunt : Discedite a me maledicti in ignem æternum, qui paratus est diabolo, et angelis ejus :	τοτε ερει και τοις εξ ευωνυμων πορευεσθε απ εμου οι κατηραμενοι εις το πυρ το αιωνιον το ητοιμασμενον τω διαβολω και τοις αγγελοις αυτου
42.	For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink.	esurivi enim, et non dedistis mihi manducare : sitivi, et non desistis mihi potum :	επεινασα γαρ και ουκ εδωκατε μοι φαγειν εδιψησα και ουκ εποτισατε με
43.	I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you covered me not: sick and in prison, and you did not visit me.	hospes eram, et non collegistis me : nudus, et non cooperuistis me : infirmus, et in carcere, et non visitastis me.	ξενος ημην και ου συνηγαγετε με γυμνος και ου περιεβαλετε με ασθενης και εν φυλακη και ουκ επεσκεψασθε με
44.	Then they also shall answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee?	Tunc respondebunt ei et ipsi, dicentes : Domine, quando te vidimus esurientem, aut sitientem, aut hospitem, aut nudum, aut infirmum, aut in carcere, et non ministravimus tibi ?	τοτε αποκριθησονται και αυτοι λεγοντες κυριε ποτε σε ειδομεν πεινωντα η διψωντα η ξενον η γυμνον η ασθενη η εν φυλακη και ου διηκονησαμεν σοι
45.	Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me.	Tunc respondebit illis, dicens : Amen dico vobis : Quamdiu non fecistis uni de minoribus his, nec mihi fecistis.	τοτε αποκριθησεται αυτοις λεγων αμην λεγω υμιν εφ οσον ουκ εποιησατε ενι τουτων των ελαχιστων ουδε εμοι εποιησατε
46.	And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the just, into life everlasting.	Et ibunt hi in supplicium æternum : justi autem in vitam æternam.	και απελευσονται ουτοι εις κολασιν αιωνιον οι δε δικαιοι εις ζωην αιωνιον

31. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32. And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats:
33. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34. Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35. For I was an hungry, and you gave me meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in:
36. Naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me.
37. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we you hungry, and fed you? Or thirsty, and gave you drink?
38. When saw we you a stranger, and took you in? or naked, and clothed you?
39. Or when saw we you sick, or in prison, and came to you?
40. And the King shall answer and say to them, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it to me.
41. Then shall he say also to them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42. For I was an hungry, and you gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink:
43. I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and you visited me not.
44. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we you hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to you?
45. Then shall he answer then, saying, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.

RABAN. After the parables concerning the end of the world the Lord proceeds to describe the manner of the judgment to come.

CHRYS. To this most sweet section of Scripture which we cease not continually to ponder, let us now listen with all attention and compunction of spirit, for Christ does indeed clothe this discourse with more terrors and vividness. He does not accordingly say of this as of the others, The kingdom of heaven is like, but shows of Himself by direct revelation, saying, When the Son of man shall come in his majesty.

JEROME; He who was within two days to celebrate the Passover, to be delivered to the cross, and mocked by men, fitly now holds out the glory of His triumph, that He may overbalance the offenses that were to follow by the promise of reward. And it is to be noted, that He who shall be seen in majesty is the Son of Man.

AUG. The wicked and they also who shall be set on His light hand shall see Him in human shape, for He shall appear in the judgment in that form which He took on Him from us; but it shall be afterwards that He shall be seen in the form of God, for which all the believers long.

REMIG. These words overthrow the error of those who said that the Lord should not continue in the same form of a servant. By his majesty, He means His divinity, in which He is equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit.

ORIGEN; Or, He shall come again with glory, that His body may be such as when He was transfigured on the mount. His throne is either certain of the more perfect of the Saints, of whom it is written, For there are set thrones in judgment; or certain Angelic Powers of whom it is said, Thrones or dominions.

AUG. He shall come down with the Angels whom He shall call from heavenly places to hold judgment.

CHRYS. For all his Angels shall be with him to bear witness to the things wherein they have administered to men's salvation at His bidding.

AUG. Or, by Angels here He means men who shall judge with Christ; for Angels are messengers, and such we rightly understand all who have brought tidings of heavenly salvation to men.

REMIG. And all nations shall be gathered before Him. These words prove that the resurrection of men shall be real.

AUG. This gathering shall be executed by the ministry of Angels, as it is said in the Psalm, Gather to him his saints.

ORIGEN; Or, we need not understand this of a local gathering together, but that the nations shall be no more dispersed in divers and false dogmas concerning Him. For Christ's divinity shall be manifested so that not even sinners shall any longer be ignorant of Him. He shall not then show Himself as Son of God in one place and not in another; as He sought to express to us by the comparison of the lightning. So as long as the wicked know neither themselves nor Christ, or the righteous see through a glass darkly, so long the good are not severed from the evil, but when by the manifestation of the Son of God all shall come to the knowledge of Him, then shall the Savior sever the good from the evil; for then shall sinners see their sins, and the righteous shall see clearly to what end the seeds of righteousness in them have led. They that are saved are called sheep by reason of that mildness which they have learnt of Him who said, Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly, and because they are ready to go even to death in imitation of Christ, who was led as a sheep to the slaughter. The wicked, are called goats, because they climb rough and rugged rocks, and walk in dangerous places.

CHRYS. Or, He calls the one sheep and the other goats, to denote the unprofitableness of the one, and the fruitfulness of the other, for sheep are greatly productive in fleece, milk, and lambs.

GLOSS. Under the figure of a sheep in Scripture is signified simplicity and innocence. Beautifully then in this place are the elect denoted by sheep.

JEROME; Also the goat is a salacious animal, and was the offering for sins in the Law, and He says not 'she goats' which can produce young, and come up shorn from the washing.

CHRYS. Then He separates them in place.

ORIGEN; For the Saints who have wrought right works , shall receive in recompense of their right works the King's right hand, at which is rest and glory; but the wicked for their evil and sinister deeds have fallen to the left hand, that is, into the misery of torments. Then shall the King say to those who are on his right hand, Come, that in whatever they are behind they may make it up when they are more perfectly united to Christ. He adds, you blessed of my Father, to show how eminently blessed they were, being of old blessed of the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

RABAN. Or, they are called blessed, to whom an eternal blessing is due for their good deserts. He calls it the kingdom of His Father, ascribing the dominion of the kingdom to Him by whom Himself the King was begotten. For by His royal power, with which He shall be exalted alone in that day, He shall pronounce the sentence of judgment, Then shall the King say.

CHRYS. Observe that He says not 'Receive', but possess, or inherit, as due to you from of old.

JEROME; This prepared for you from the foundation of the world, is to be understood as of the foreknowledge of God, with whom things to come are as already done.

AUG. Besides that kingdom of which He will say in the end, Inherit the kingdom prepared for you, though in a very inferior manner, the present Church is also called His kingdom, in the which we are yet in conflict with the enemy until we come to that kingdom of peace, where we shall reign without an enemy.

ID. But one will say, I desire not to reign, it is enough for me that I he saved. Wherein they are deceived, first, because there is no salvation for those whose iniquity abounds; and, secondly, because if there be any difference between those that reign, and those that do not reign, yet must all be within the same kingdom, lest they be esteemed for foes or aliens, and perish while the others reign. Thus all the Romans inherit the kingdom of Rome, though all do not reign in it.

CHRYS. For what the Saints obtain the boon of this heavenly kingdom He shows when He adds, I was hungered, and you gave me to eat.

REMIG. And it is to be noted, that the Lord here enumerates six works of mercy which who shall study to accomplish shall be entitled to the kingdom prepared for the chosen from the foundation of the world.

RABAN. Mystically, He who with the bread of the word and the drink of wisdom refreshes the soul hungering and thirsting after righteousness, or admits into the home of our mother the Church him who is wandering in heresy or sin, or who strengthens the weak in faith, such an one discharges the obligations of true love.

GREG. These, to whom as they stand on His right hand the Judge at His coming shall say, I was hungered &c. are they who are judged on the side of the elect, and who reign; who wash away the stains of their life with tears; who redeem former sins by good deeds following; who, whatever unlawful thing they have at any time done, have covered it from the Judge's eyes by a cloak of alms. Others indeed there are who are not judged, yet reign, who have gone even beyond the precepts of the Law in the perfection of their virtue.

ORIGEN; It is from humility that they declare themselves unworthy of any praise for their good deeds, not that they are forgetful of what they have done. But He shows them His close sympathy with His own.

RABAN. Lord, when saw we you &c. This they say not because they distrust the Lord's words, but they are in amaze at so great exaltation, and at the greatness of their own glory; or because the good which they have done will seem to them to be so small according to that of the Apostle, For the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us.

JEROME; It were indeed free to us to understand that it is Christ in every poor man whom we feed when he is hungry, or give drink to when he is thirsty, and so of other things;

but when He says, In that you have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, He seems to me not to speak of the poor generally, but of the poor in spirit, those to whom He pointed and said, Whoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother.

CHRYS. But if they are His brethren, why does He call them the least? Because they are lowly, poor, and outcast. By these He means not only the monks who have retired to the mountains, but every believer though he should be secular, though hungered, or the like, yet He would have him obtain merciful succors, for baptism and communication of the Divine mysteries makes him a brother.

ORIGEN; As He had said to the righteous, Come you, so He says to the wicked, Depart you, for they who keep God's commandment are near to the Word, and are called that they may be made more near; but they are far from it, though they may seem to stand hard by, who do not His commands ; therefore it is said to them, Depart you, that those who seemed to be living before Him, might be no more seen. It should be remarked, that though He had said to the Saints, you blessed of my Father, He says not now, You cursed of my Father, because of all blessing the Father is the author, but each man is the origin of his own curse when he does the things that deserve the curse. They who depart from Jesus fall into eternal fire, which is of a very different kind from that fire which we use. For no fire which we have is eternal, nor even of any long continuance. And note, that He does not say, 'the kingdom prepared for the Angels,' as He does say everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels; because He did not, as far as in Him lay, create men to perdition, but sinners yoke themselves to the Devil, so that as they that are saved are made equal to the holy Angels, they that perish are made equal with the Devil's Angels.

AUG. It is hence clear, that the same fire will be appropriated to the punishment of men and of demons. If then it inflicts pain by corporeal touch, so as to produce bodily torment, how will there be in it any punishment for the evil spirits, unless the demons have, as some have thought, bodies composed of gross and fluid air. But if any man asserts that the demons have no bodies, we would not pugnaciously contend the point. For why may we not say, that truly, though wonderfully, even incorporeal spirit can feel pain of corporeal fire? If the spirits of men, though themselves incorporeal, can be now enclosed in bodily limbs, they can then be inseparably attached to the bonds of body. The demons then will be united to a body of material fire, though themselves immaterial, drawing punishment from their body, not giving life to it. And that fire being material will torture such bodies as ours with their spirits; but the demons are spirits without bodies.

ORIGEN; Or it may be that fire is of such nature that it can burn invisible substances, being itself invisible, as the Apostle speaks, The things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal? Wonder not when you hear that there is a fire which though unseen has power to torture, when you see that there is an internal fever which comes upon men, and pains them grievously. It follows, I was hungry, and you gave me no meat.

It is written to the believers, You are the body of Christ. As then the soul dwelling in the body, though it hungers not in respect of its spiritual substance, yet hungers for the food of the body, because it is yoked to the body; so the Savior suffers whatever His body the Church suffers, though He Himself be impassable. And observe how in speaking to the righteous He reckons up their good deeds under their several kinds, but to the unrighteous He cuts short the description under the one head, I was sick and in prison, and you visited me not, because it was the part of a merciful Judge to enlarge and dwell upon men's good deeds, but to pass lightly and cursorily over their evil deeds.

CHRYS. Observe how they had failed in mercifulness, not in one or; two respects only, but in all; not only did they not feed Him when He was hungry, but they did not even visit Him when He was sick, which was easier. And look how light things He enjoins; He said not, I was in prison, and you did not set me free, but, and you visited me not. Also His hunger required no costly dainties, but necessary food. Each of these counts then is enough for their punishment. First, the slightness of His prayer, viz. for bread; secondly, the destitution of Him who sought it, for He was poor; thirdly, the natural feelings of compassion, for He was a man; fourthly, the expectation of His promise, for He promised a kingdom; fifthly, the greatness of Him who received, for it is God who receives in the poor man; sixthly, the preeminent honor, in that He condescended to take of men; and seventhly, the righteousness of so bestowing it, for what He takes from us is our own. But avarice blinds men to all these considerations.

GREG. They to whom this is said are the wicked believers, who are judged and perish; others, being unbelievers, are not judged and perish; for there is no examination of the condition of such as appear before the face of an impartial Judge already condemned by their unbelief; but those who hold the profession of the faith, but have not the works of their profession, are convicted that they may be condemned. These at least hear the words of their Judge, because they have at least kept the words of His faith. The others hear no words of their Judge pronouncing sentence of condemnation, because they have not paid Him honor even in word. For a prince who governs an earthly kingdom punishes after a different manner the rebellion of a subject and the hostile attempts of an enemy; in the former case, he recurs to his prerogative; against an enemy he takes arms, and does not ask what penalty the law attaches to his crime.

CHRYS. Thus convicted by the words of the Judge, they make answer submissively, Lord, when saw we you &c.

ORIGEN; Mark how the righteous dwell upon each word, while the unrighteous answer summarily, and not going through the particular instances; for so it becomes the righteous out of humility to disclaim each individual generous action, when imputed to them publicly; whereas bad men excuse their sins, and endeavor to prove them few and venial. And Christ's answer conveys this. And to the righteous He says, In that you did it to my brethren, to show the greatness of their good deeds; to the sinners He says only, to one of the least of these, not aggravating their sin. For they are truly His brethren who are perfect; and a deed of mercy shown to the more holy is more acceptable to God than one shown to the less holy; and the sin of overlooking the less holy is less than of overlooking the more holy.

AUG. He is now treating of the last judgment, when Christ shall come from heaven to judge the quick and dead. This day of the Divine judgment we call the Last Day, that is, the end of time; for we cannot tell through how many days that judgment will be prolonged; but day, as is the use of holy Scripture, is put for time. And we therefore call it the last or latest judgment, because He both now judges and has judged from the beginning of the human race, when He thrust forth the first man from the tree of life, and spared not the Angels that sinned. But in that final judgment both men and Angels shall be judged together, when the Divine power shall bring each man's good and evil deeds in review before his memory, and one intuitive glance shall present them to the perception, so that at once we shall be condemned or acquitted in our consciences.

46. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

AUG. Some deceive themselves, saying, that the fire indeed is called everlasting, but not the punishment. This the Lord foreseeing, sums up His sentence in these words.

ORIGEN; Observe that whereas He put first the invitation, Come, you blessed, and after that, Depart, you cursed, because it is the property of a merciful God to record the good deeds of the good, before the bad deeds of the bad; He now reverses the order, describing first the punishment of the wicked, and then the life of the good, that the terrors of the one may deter us from evil, and the honor of the other incite us to good.

GREG. If he who has not given to others is visited with so heavy a punishment, what shall he get who is convicted of having robbed others of their own.

AUG. Eternal life is our chief good, and the end of the city of God, of which the Apostle speaks, And the end everlasting life. But because eternal life might be understood by those who are not well versed in Holy Scripture, to mean also the life of the wicked because of the immortality of their souls, or because of the endless torments of the wicked; therefore we must call the end of this City in which the chief good shall be attained, either peace in life eternal, or life eternal in peace, that it may be intelligible to all.

ID. That which the Lord spoke to His servant Moses, I am that I am, this we shall contemplate when we shall live in eternity. For thus the Lord speaks This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God. This contemplation is promised to us as the end of all action, and the eternal perfection of our joys, of which John speaks, We shall see him as he is.

JEROME; Let the thoughtful reader observe that punishments are eternal, and that that continuing life has thenceforward no fear of fall.

GREG. They say that He held out empty terrors to deter them from sin. We answer, if He threatened falsely to check unrighteousness, then He promised falsely to promote good conduct. Thus while they go out of the way to prove God merciful, they are not afraid to charge Him with fraud. But, they urge, finite sin ought not to be visited with infinite punishment; we answer, that this argument would be just, if the righteous Judge considered men's actions, and not their hearts. Therefore it belongs to the righteousness of an impartial Judge, that those whose heart would never be without sin in this life, should never be without punishment.

AUG. And the justice of no law is concerned to provide that the duration of each man's punishment should be the same with the sin which drew that punishment upon him. There never was any man, who held that the torment of him, who committed a murder or adultery, should be compressed within the same space of time as the commission of the act. And when for any enormous crime a man is punished with death, does the law estimate his punishment by the delay that takes place in putting him to death, and not rather by this, that they remove him for ever from the society of the living? And fines, disgrace, exile, slavery, when they are inflicted without any hopes of mercy, do they not seem like eternal punishments in proportion to the length of this life? They are only therefore not eternal, because the life which suffers them is not itself eternal. But they say, flow then is that true which Christ says, With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again, if temporal sin is punished with eternal pain? They do not observe that this is said with a view, not to the equality of the period of time, but of the retribution of evil, i.e. that he that has done evil should suffer evil. Man was made worthy of everlasting evil, because he destroyed in himself that good which might have eternal.

GREG. But they say, no just man takes pleasure in cruelties, and the guilty servant was scourged to correct his fault. But when the wicked are given over to hell fire, to what purpose shall they burn there for ever? We reply, that Almighty God, seeing He is good, does not delight in the torments of the wretched; but forasmuch as He is righteous, He ceases not from taking vengeance on the wicked; yet do the wicked burn not without some purpose, namely, that the righteous may acknowledge how they are debtors for eternity to Divine grace, when they see the wicked suffering for eternity misery, which themselves have escaped only by the assistance of that Divine grace.

AUG. But, they assert, nobody can be at once capable of suffering pain, and incapable of death. It must be that one live in pain, but it need not be that pain kill him; for not even these mortal bodies die from every pain; but the reason that some pain causes their death is, that the connection between the soul and our present body is such that it gives way to extreme pain. But then the soul shall be united to such a body, and in such a way, that no pain shall be able to overcome the connection. There will not then be no death, but an everlasting death, the soul being unable to live, as being without God, and equally unable to rid itself of the pains of body by dying. Among these impugners of the eternity of punishment,

ORIGEN is the most merciful, who believed that the Devil himself and his Angels, after sufferings proportioned to their deserts, and a long endurance, should be delivered from those torments, and associated with the holy Angels. But for these and other things he was not undeservedly rebuked by the Church, because even his seeming mercy was thrown away, making for the saints real pains in which their sins were to be expiated, and fictitious blessedness, if the joys of the good were not to be secure and endless. In quite another way does the mercy of others err through their humane sympathies, who think that the sufferings of those men who are condemned by this sentence will be temporal, but that the happiness of those who are set free sooner or later will be eternal. Why does their charity extend to the whole race of man, but dries up when they come to the angelic race?

GREG. But they say, How can they be called Saints, if they shall not pray for their enemies whom they see shell burning? They do not indeed pray for their enemies, so long as there is any possibility of converting their hearts to a profitable penitence, but how shall they pray for them when any change from their wickedness is no longer possible?

AUG. So some there are who hold out liberation from punishment not to all men, but to those only who have been washed in Christ's Baptism, and have been partakers of His Body, let them have lived as they will; because of that which the Lord speaks, If any man eat of this bread, he shall not die eternally. Again, others promise this not to all who have Christ's sacrament, but to Catholics only, however in their lives, who have eaten Christ's Body, not in sacrament only, but in verity, (inasmuch as they are set in the Church, which is His Body,) even though they should afterwards have fallen into heresy or idolatry of the Gentiles. And others again, because of what is written above, He that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved, promise this only to those who persevere in the Catholic Church, that by the worthiness of their foundation, that is, of their faith, they shall be saved by fire. All these the Apostle opposes when he says, The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, uncleanness, fornication, and the like; of which I tell you before, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Whoever in his heart prefers temporal things to Christ, Christ is not his foundation, though he seem to have the faith of Christ. How much more then is he, who has committed things unlawful, convicted of not preferring Christ, but preferring other things to Him? I have also met with some who thought that only those would burn in eternal torments who neglected to give alms proportioned to their sins; and for this reason they think that the Judge Himself here mentions nothing else that He shall make inquiry of, but of the giving or not giving alms. But whoever gives alms worthily for his sins, first begins with himself; for it were unmeet that he should not do that to himself which he does to others when he has heard the words of God, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, and hears likewise, Be merciful to your soul in pleasing God? He then who does not to his own soul this alms of pleasing God, how can he be said to give alms meet for his sins? Why we are to give alms then is only that when we pray for mercy for sins past, we may be heard; not that we may purchase thereby license for continuing in sin. And the Lord forewarns us that He will put alms done on the right hand, and on the left alms not done, to show us how mighty are alms to do away former sins, not to give impunity to a continuance in sin.

ORIGEN; Or, It is not one kind of righteousness only that is rewarded, as many think. In whatsoever matters any one does Christ's commands, he gives Christ meat and drink, Who feeds ever upon the truth and righteousness of His faithful people. So do we weave raiment for Christ when cold, when taking wisdom's web, we inculcate upon others, and put upon them bowels of mercy. Also when we make ready with divers virtues our heart for receiving Him, or those who are His, we take Him in a stranger into the home of our bosom. Also when we visit a brother sick either in faith or in good works, with doctrine, reproof, or comfort, we visit Christ Himself. Moreover, all that is here, is the prison of Christ, and of them that are His, who live in this world, as though chained in the prison of natural necessity. When we do a good work to these, we visit them in prison, and Christ in them.

Catena Aurea Matthew 25

The Last Judgment

16-early 17c
Poland

One Bread, One Body

<< Monday, February 27, 2012 >>

Saint of the Day

Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18
View Readings

Psalm 19:8-10, 15

Matthew 25:31-46

THE CHAIN OF COMMANDS

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord." —Leviticus 19:18

On Ash Wednesday, the Lord commanded us to give alms (see Mt 6:2). On Thursday, He commanded us to choose life (Dt 30:19). One of Friday's commands was to share our "bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless" (Is 58:7). On Saturday, the Lord again told us to bestow our bread on the hungry (Is 58:10).

Today, the Lord continues His chain of commands by telling us to not stand by idly while our neighbor's life is at stake (Lv 19:16). We should feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, comfort the ill, and visit the imprisoned (Mt 25:35-36). Jesus even goes so far as to assure us: "As often as you did it for one of My least brothers, you did it for Me" (Mt 25:40).

It's safe to say the Lord is trying to tell us something. He commands us to give sacrificially to the poor of our city and of the world. He calls us not just to give from our surplus but give till it hurts. He calls us to a radical change of lifestyle and to a life of Gospel simplicity. If today you hear His voice, harden not your heart (Ps 95:7-8).

Prayer: Father, give me solidarity with the poor of the third and fourth worlds.

Promise: "Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy." —Lv 19:2

Praise: Bill, a grade school principal, led his school in collecting and then personally delivering survival boxes to a hurricane-ridden city.

Life Jewels (Listen)
A collection of One Minute Pro-Life messages. A different message each time you click.

February 27, 2012

Monday of the First Week of Lent

Reading 1 Lv 19:1-2, 11-18

Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15

Gospel Mt 25:31-46

St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

Meditation: Matthew 25:31-46

Be Holy

One Bread, One Body

THE CHAIN OF COMMANDS