Mar 29, Morning Prayer for Thursday of the 5th week of Lent

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II:
Ordinary: 1049
Proper of Seasons: 376
Psalter: Thursday, Week I, 1161

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 689
Proper of Seasons: 377
Psalter: Thursday, Week I, 748

Morning Prayer for Thursday of the 5th 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

Father most holy, merciful and tender;
Jesus our Savior, with the Father reigning;
Spirit all kindly, Advocate, Defender,
Light never ending;

Trinity sacred, Unity unshaken;
Deity perfect, giving and forgiving,
Light of the angels, Life of the forsaken,
Hope of the living;

Maker of all things, all Thy creatures praise Thee;
Lo, all things serve Thee through Thy whole creation:
Hear us, Almighty, hear us as we raise Thee
Heart’s adoration.

To the all ruling triune God be glory:
Highest and greatest, help Thou our endeavor;
We, too, would praise Thee, giving honor worthy
Now and forever. Amen.

“Father Most Holy, Merciful and Tender” by Choir of Girton College; Words: From the Latin. Music: Matthäus von Löwenstern (1594-1648).

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Awake, lyre and harp, with praise let us awake the dawn.

Psalm 57
Morning prayer in affliction
This psalm tells of our Lord’s passion (Saint Augustine).

Have mercy on me, God, have mercy
for in you my soul has taken refuge.
In the shadow of your wings I take refuge
till the storms of destruction pass by.

I call to you God the Most High,
to you who have always been my help.
May you send from heaven and save me
and shame those who assail me.

O God, send your truth and your love.

My soul lies down among lions,
who would devour the sons of men.
Their teeth are spears and arrows,
their tongue a sharpened sword.

O God, arise above the heavens;
may your glory shine on earth!

They laid a snare for my steps
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my path
but fell in it themselves.

My heart is ready, O God,
my heart is ready.
I will sing, I will sing your praise.
Awake, my soul;
awake, lyre and harp,
I will awake the dawn.

I will thank you, Lord, among the peoples,
among the nations I will praise you
for your love reaches to the heavens
and your truth to the skies.

O God, arise above the heavens;
may your glory shine 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.

Psalm-prayer

Lord, send your mercy and your truth to rescue us from the snares of the devil, and we will praise you among the peoples and proclaim you to the nations, happy to be known as companions of your Son.

Ant. Awake, lyre and harp, with praise let us awake the dawn.

Ant. 2 My people, says the Lord, will be filled with my blessings.

Canticle – Jeremiah 31:10-14
The happiness of a people who have been redeemed
Jesus was to die . . . to gather God’s scattered children into one fold (John 11:51, 52).

Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
proclaim it on distant coasts, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.

The Lord shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.

Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the Lord’s blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the oil,
the sheep and the oxen;
They themselves shall be like watered gardens,
never again shall they languish.

Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
I will lavish choice portions upon the priests,
and my people shall be filled with my blessings,
says the Lord.

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. My people, says the Lord, will be filled with my blessings.

Ant. 3 The Lord is great and worthy to be praised in the city of our God.

Psalm 48
Thanksgiving for the people’s deliverance
He took me up a high mountain and showed me Jerusalem, God’s holy city (Revelation 21:10).

The Lord is great and worthy to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain rises in beauty,
the joy of all the earth.

Mount Zion, true pole of the earth,
the Great King’s city!
God, in the midst of its citadels,
has shown himself its stronghold.

For the kings assembled together,
together they advanced.
They saw; at once they were astounded;
dismayed, they fled in fear.

A trembling seized them there,
like the pangs of birth.
By the east wind you have destroyed
the ships of Tarshish.

As we have heard, so we have seen
in the city of our God,
in the city of the Lord of hosts
which God upholds for ever.

O God, we ponder your love
within your temple.
Your praise, O God, like your name
reaches the ends of the earth.

With justice your right hand is filled.
Mount Zion rejoices;
the people of Judah rejoice
at the sight of your judgments.

Walk through Zion, walk all round it;
count the number of its towers.
Review all its ramparts,
examine its castles,

that you may tell the next generation
that such is our God,
our God for ever and always.
It is he who leads us.

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, the body of your risen Son is the temple not made by human hands and the defending wall of the new Jerusalem. May this holy city, built of living stones, shine with spiritual radiance and witness to your greatness in the sight of all nations.

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

READING Hebrews 2:9-10

We see Jesus crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, that through God’s gracious will he might taste death for the sake of all men. Indeed, it was fitting that when bringing many sons to glory God, for whom and through whom all things exist, should make their leader in the work of salvation perfect through suffering.

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

God himself will set me free, from the hunter’s snare.
– God himself will set me free, from the hunter’s snare.

From those who would trap me with lying words
– and, from the hunter’s snare.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– God himself will set me free, from the hunter’s snare.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. Jesus said to the chief priests and the crowds of the Jews: Whoever comes from God hears the word of God. You will not listen because you do not come from God.

Luke 1:68 – 79
The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

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. Jesus said to the chief priests and the crowds of the Jews: Whoever comes from God hears the word of God. You will not listen because you do not come from God.

INTERCESSIONS

Christ our Lord came among us as the light of the world, that we might walk in his light, and not in the darkness of death. Let us praise him and cry out to him:
– Let your word be a lamp to guide us.

God of mercy, help us today to grow in your likeness,
that we who sinned in Adam may rise again in Christ.
– Let your word be a lamp to guide us.

Let your word be a lamp to guide us,
that we may live the truth and grow always in your love.
– Let your word be a lamp to guide us.

Teach us to be faithful in seeking the common good for your sake,
that your light may shine on the whole human family by means of your Church.
– Let your word be a lamp to guide us.

Touch our hearts to seek your friendship more and more,
and to make amends for our sins against your wisdom and goodness.
– Let your word be a lamp to guide 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

Be near,
O Lord, to those who plead before you,
and look kindly on those who place their hope in your mercy,
that, cleansed from the stain of their sins,
they may persevere in holy living
and be made full heirs of your promise.
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.

Mar 29, Midday Prayer for Thursday of the 5th week of Lent

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II:
Ordinary: 1054
Proper of Seasons: 378 (Midday)
Psalter: Thursday, Week I, 1167

Midday Prayer for Thursday of the 5th Week of Lent, using the Current Psalmody

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

Glory to God in the highest
And peace to His people on earth
Lord God, Heavenly King, Almighty God and Father
We worship You
We give You thanks
We praise You for Your glory

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father
Lord God, Lamb of God
You take away the sins of the world
Lord, have mercy on us
You are seated at the right hand of the Father
Receive our prayer

For You alone are the Holy One
For You alone are the Lord
For You alone are the Most High
Jesus Christ
With the Holy Spirit
In the glory of God the Father

Amen.

Glory to God in the highest by St. Paul’s Choir Indianapolis; Lyrics are based upon the text of the Sacred Liturgy

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 119: 17-24
III (Ghimel)

Bless your servant and I shall live
and obey your word.
Open my eyes that I may see
the wonders of your law.

I am a pilgrim on the earth;
show me your commands.
My soul is ever consumed
as I long for your decrees.

You threaten the proud, the accursed,
who turn from your commands.
Relieve me from scorn and contempt
for I do your will.

Though princes sit plotting against me
I ponder on your rulings.
Your will is my delight;
your statutes are my counsellors.

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, giver of all good gifts, do not let us go astray from your commands but help us to seek you with all our hearts.

Psalm 25
Prayer for God’s favor and protection
Our hope will never be disappointed (Romans 5:5).

I

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
I trust in you, let me not be disappointed;
do not let my enemies triumph.
Those who hope in you shall not be disappointed,
but only those who wantonly break faith.

Lord, make me know your ways.
Lord, teach me your paths.
Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:
for you are God my savior.

In you I hope all day long
because of your goodness, O Lord.
Remember your mercy, Lord,
and the love you have shown from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth.
In your love remember me.

The Lord is good and upright.
He shows the path to those who stray,
he guides the humble in the right path;
he teaches his way to the poor.

His ways are faithfulness and love
for those who keep his covenant and law.
Lord, for the sake of your name
forgive my guilt; for it is great.

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

To you, Lord, we life up our souls; rescue us, do not let us be put to shame for calling out to you. Do not remember the sins of our youth and stupidity, but remember us with your love.

II

If anyone fears the Lord
he will show him the path he should choose.
His soul shall live in happiness
and his children shall possess the land.
The Lord’s friendship is for those who revere him;
to them he reveals his covenant.

My eyes are always on the Lord;
for he rescues my feet from the snare.
Turn to me and have mercy
for I am lonely and poor.

Relieve the anguish of my heart
and set me free from my distress.
See my affliction and my toil
and take all my sins away.

See how many are my foes;
how violent their hatred for me.
Preserve my life and rescue me.
Do not disappoint me, you are my refuge.
May innocence and uprightness protect me:
for my hope is in you, O Lord.

Redeem Israel, O God, from all its distress.

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

Through your Son, Lord, you spared sinners to show us your mercy and love. Do not remember our sins, but show us your ways; relieve our distress, and satisfy the longing of your people, so that all our hopes for eternal peace may reach fulfillment.

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

READING Hebrews 7:26-27

It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; our Lord Jesus Christ did that once for all when he offered himself.

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

Be near,
O Lord, to those who plead before you,
and look kindly on those who place their hope in your mercy,
that, cleansed from the stain of their sins,
they may persevere in holy living
and be made full heirs of your promise.
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.

Mar 29, Evening Prayer for Thursday of the 5th week of Lent

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II:
Ordinary: 1064
Proper of Seasons: 379
Psalter: Thursday, Week I, 1250

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 694
Proper of Seasons: 297
Psalter: Thursday, Week I, 798

Evening Prayer for Thursday of the 5th 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

I know my soul hath power to know all things,
Yet she is blind and ignorant in all:
I know I’m one of Nature’s little kings,
Yet to the least and vilest things am thrall.

I know my life’s a pain and but a span;
I know my sense is mock’d in ev’rything;
And, to conclude, I know myself a Man,
Which is a proud and yet a wretched thing.

“I Know My Soul Hath Power”; Text: Sir John Davies (1569-1626)
“I Know My Soul Hath Power” by The Choir of St Edmundsbury Cathedral is available from Amazon.com

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 I cried to you, Lord, and you healed me; I will praise you for ever.

Psalm 30
Thanksgiving for deliverance from death
Christ, risen in glory, gives continual thanks to his Father (Cassian).

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me
and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.

O Lord, I cried to you for help
and you, my God, have healed me.
O Lord, you have raised my soul from the dead,
restored me to life from those who sink into the grave.

Sing psalms to the Lord, you who love him,
give thanks to his holy name.
His anger lasts a moment; his favor all through life.
At night there are tears, but joy comes with dawn.

I said to myself in my good fortune:
“Nothing will ever disturb me.”
Your favor had set me on a mountain fastness,
then you hid your face and I was put to confusion.

To you, Lord, I cried,
to my God I made appeal:
“What profit would my death be, my going to the grave?
Can dust give you praise or proclaim your truth?

The Lord listened and had pity.
The Lord came to my help.
For me you have changed my mourning into dancing,
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.
So my soul sings psalms to you unceasingly.
O Lord my God, I will thank you 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.

Psalm-prayer

God our Father, glorious in giving life. and even more glorious in restoring it, when his last night on earth came, your Son shed tears of blood, but dawn brought incomparable gladness. Do not turn away from us, or we shall fall back into dust, but rather turn our mourning into joy by raising us up with Christ.

Ant. I cried to you, Lord, and you healed me; I will praise you for ever.

Ant. 2 The one who is sinless in the eyes of God is blessed indeed.

Psalm 32
They are happy whose sins are forgiven
David speaks of the happiness of the man who is holy in God’s eyes not because of his own worth, but because God has justified him (Romans 4:6).

Happy the man whose offense is forgiven,
whose sin is remitted.
O happy the man to whom the Lord
imputes no guilt,
in whose spirit is no guile.

I kept it secret and my frame was wasted.
I groaned all day long,
for night and day your hand was heavy upon me.
Indeed my strength was dried up
as by the summer’s heat.

But now I have acknowledged my sins;
my guilt I did not hide.
I said: I will confess
my offense to the Lord.”
And you, Lord, have forgiven
the guilt of my sin.

So let every good man pray to you
in the time of need.
The floods of water may reach high
but him they shall not reach.
You are my hiding place, O Lord;
you save me from distress.
You surround me with cries of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you
the way you should go;
I will give you counsel
with my eye upon you.

Be not like horse and mule, unintelligent,
needing bridle and bit
else they will not approach you.
Many sorrows has the wicked
but he who trusts in the Lord,
loving mercy surrounds him.

Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord,
exult, you just!
O come, ring out your joy,
all you upright of heart.

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 desired, Lord, to keep from us your indignation and so did not spare Jesus Christ, who was wounded for our sins. We are your prodigal children, but confessing our sins we come back to you. Embrace us that we may rejoice in your mercy together with Christ your beloved Son.

Ant. The one who is sinless in the eyes of God is blessed indeed.

Ant. 3 The Father has given Christ all power, honor and kingship; all people will obey him.

Canticle – Revelation 11:17-18; 12:10b-12a
The judgment of God

We praise you, the Lord God Almighty,
Who is and who was.
You have assumed your great power,
You have begun your reign.

The nations have raged in anger,
But then came your day of wrath
And the moment to judge the dead:
The time to reward your servants the prophets
And the holy ones who revere you,
The great and the small alike.

Now have salvation and power come,
The reign of our God and the authority
Of his Anointed One,
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
Who night and day accused them before God.

They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
And by the word of their testimony;
Love for life did not deter them from death.
So rejoice, you heavens,
And you that dwell therein!

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. The Father has given Christ all power, honor and kingship; all people will obey him.

READING Hebrews 13:12-15

Jesus died outside the gate, to sanctify the people by his own blood. Let us go to him outside the camp, bearing the insult which he bore. For here we have no lasting city; we are seeking one which is to come. Through him let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which acknowledge his name.

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

Heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
– I make my prayer for mercy.

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

CANTICLE OF MARY

Ant. You are not yet fifty years old; how can you have seen Abraham? In very truth I tell you, before Abraham was, I AM.

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. You are not yet fifty years old; how can you have seen Abraham? In very truth I tell you, before Abraham was, I AM.

INTERCESSIONS

Christ the Lord gave us a new commandment, of love for each other. Let us pray to him:
– Lord, build up your people in love.

Good Master, teach us to love you in our neighbor,
and in serving them to serve you.
– Lord, build up your people in love.

On the cross you asked pardon for your executioners,
give us strength to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
– Lord, build up your people in love.

Through the mystery of your body and blood, deepen our love, our perseverance and our trust,
strengthen the weak, console the sorrowful, and give hope to the dying.
– Lord, build up your people in love.

Light of the world, you gave light to the man born blind when he had washed in the pool of Siloam,
enlighten catechumens through the water of baptism and the word of life.
– Lord, build up your people in love.

Give to the dead the perfect joy of your eternal love,
and number us also among your chosen ones.
– Lord, build up your people in love.

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

Be near,
O Lord, to those who plead before you,
and look kindly on those who place their hope in your mercy,
that, cleansed from the stain of their sins,
they may persevere in holy living
and be made full heirs of your promise.
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.

Mar 29, Night Prayer for Thursday of the 5th week of Lent

Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol II:
Page 1642

Christian Prayer:
Page 1049

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.

Thursday Night Prayer 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 raise us to new life:
Lord, have mercy.
– Lord have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you forgive us our sins:
Christ, have mercy.
– Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus you feed us with your body and blood:
Lord, have mercy.
– Lord have mercy.

HYMN

Holy is the True Light, and passing wonderful,
lending radiance to them that endured in the heat of the conflict,
from Christ they inherit a home of unfading splendour,
wherein they rejoice with gladness evermore.
Alleluia!

”Holy is the True Light” by Chichester Cathedral Choir; Words: from the Salisbury Diurnal by GH Palmer
”Holy is the True Light” by Chichester Cathedral Choir is available from Amazon.com.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 In you, my God, my body will rest in hope.

Psalm 16
God is my portion, my inheritance
The Father raised up Jesus from the dead and broke the bonds of death (Acts 2:24).

Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.
I say to the Lord: “You are my God.
My happiness lies in you alone.”

He has put into my heart a marvelous love
for the faithful ones who dwell in his land.
Those who choose other gods increase their sorrows.
Never will I offer their offerings of blood.
Never will I take their name upon my lips.

O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
it is you yourself who are my prize.
The lot marked out for me is my delight:
welcome indeed the heritage that falls to me!

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord ever in my sight:
since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.

And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;
even my body shall rest in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead,
nor let your beloved know decay.

You will show me the path of life,
the fullness of joy in your presence,
at your right hand happiness 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. In you, my God, my body will rest in hope.

READING 1 Thessalonians 5:23

May the God of peace make you perfect in holiness. May he preserve you whole and entire, spirit, soul, and body, irreproachable at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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 God,
send peaceful sleep
to refresh our tired bodies.
May your help always renew us
and keep us strong in your service.
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

Information: St. Barachisius and Jonas

Feast Day:	March 29
Died:	24 December 327

Catholic

Almanac:

Thursday, March 29
Liturgical Color: Violet
In 1537, Pope Paul III published Pastorale Officium where he condemned slavery as sin leading to excommunication. He stated that all men, even non-Christians, couldn’t be deprived of their property or freedom, because all can be brought to salvation.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: March 29, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Be near, O Lord, to those who plead before you, and look kindly on those who place their hope in your mercy, that, cleansed from the satin of their sins, they may persevere in holy living and be made full heirs of your promise. 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.

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

» Enjoy our Liturgical Seasons series of e-books!

Lent: March 29th

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

"Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart." (Mt. 18:35) No one is merciful like God, and no one pardons as God pardons. The mercy of the Jews was confined to forgiving seven times. Jesus desires that His disciples should always forgive — even to seventy times seven times.

Stational Church

Converting Our Hearts Every Day
The Season of Lent for every Christian should mark a turning point, accentuating that change in thought and life which becomes daily in those who truly wish to follow Jesus. In the Gospel the word “daily” is heard many times, for example speaking of the demands of discipleship, the Lord says: “every day” it is necessary to take up the cross and follow Him (cfr. Lk 9, 23). “ Every day ” is synonymous with “totality,” donation, which, because it is “daily”, renews itself and never breaks up, never weakens. Just as running water flows continually and is always fresh and clear, so too the spiritual life: to maintain its vivacity it draws continually from the grace which flows from Jesus. In this sense we clearly understand the necessity to “pray without ceasing”.

A great temptation on the path of conversion is to stop, to “stagnate”: we remain as we are, we do not to renew ourselves, and in doing so deceiving ourselves and others with a “Christianity” consisting of habits and “goals reached”. The journey of Lent invites us to remove these illusions, the word of Jesus resounds louder than ever: “repent and believe in the Gospel”. To be authentic conversion should never stop; the true Christian experiences the dynamics of conversion, like walking behind Jesus, on a path which never stops because it is at the spiritual level, if we stop, we go backwards! “ 'Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.'” (Lk 9, 62).

So as not to interrupt our conversion, our journey of 'becoming' Christians, the only possibility is daily conversion: denying ourselves, our ambitions every day, with the dynamic power of love. Selfishness has its own dynamics, which is also daily and drives us to satisfy 'ego'. Only the disciple who gives himself entirely to the Lord, day after day, becomes increasingly similar to his Master and lives in joy, light and love.

If a Christian says he has no joy, light or love then he must make a profound examination of conscience to discern areas where the power of selfishness prevails over the dynamics of conversion.

It is not God who is sparing with himself, or who hesitates to give Himself to us, it is man, as St Teresa of Avila says so well: “ If we attain to the perfect possession of this true love of God, it brings all blessings with it. But so niggardly and so slow are we in giving ourselves wholly to God that we do not prepare ourselves as we should to receive that precious thing which it is His Majesty's will that we should enjoy only at a great price.” (Life, chapter 11, paragraph 1).

Dying to self costs, but it obtains the greatest result: it allows Jesus to live in us. In fact there can be no dynamics of conversion, without daily “renouncing self" precisely to live for Jesus. The Word of God says clearly that only those who lose themselves, who give themselves entirely to God, truly find Him and enjoy Him here on earth: “ If, however, from there you start searching once more for Yahweh your God, and if you search for him honestly and sincerely, you will find him.” (Deut 4, 29). The Lenten journey is therefore a path of self-giving and trusting in God which culminates at Easter with new birth in Jesus. The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, describes this dynamics with the following illuminating words: “ Jesus' invitation to take up one's cross and follow him may at first sight seem harsh and contrary to what we hope for, mortifying our desire for personal fulfilment. At a closer look, however, we discover that it is not like this: the witness of the saints shows that in the Cross of Christ, in the love that is given, in renouncing the possession of oneself, one finds that deep serenity which is the source of generous dedication to our brethren, especially to the poor and the needy, and this also gives us joy. The Lenten journey of conversion on which we are setting out today together with the entire Church thus becomes a favourable opportunity, "the acceptable time" (II Cor 6: 2) for renewing our filial abandonment in the hands of God and for putting into practice what Jesus continues to repeat to us: "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mk 8: 34) and this is how one ventures forth on the path of love and true happiness. (…)let us ask Our Lady, Mother of God and of the Church, to accompany us on our way through Lent, so that it may be a journey of true conversion. May we let ourselves be led by her, and inwardly renewed we will arrive at the celebration of the great mystery of Christ's Pasch, the supreme revelation of God's merciful love.” (Benedict XVI, General Audience 6 February 2008).

Msgr. Luciano Alimandi (Agenzia Fides 20/2/2008; righe 54, parole 792)

The Station at Rome is in the church of St. Apollinaris, who was a disciple of St. Peter, and afterwards bishop of Ravenna. He was martyred. The church was founded in the early Middle Ages, probably in the 7th century.

WDTPRS Thursday 5th Week Lent (Prayer over the People): of spewing, pointless running, and the virtue of religion

Today’s “Prayer over the people”, at the end of Mass in the Ordinary Form, was originally in a truncated form in various manuscripts of the Gelasian Sacramentary. However, I eventually found it also in a longer form in the Veronese in this form for the month of July:

ORATIO SUPER POPULUM:
Esto, quaesumus, Domine,
propitius plebi tuae,
ut, de die in diem, quae tibi non
placent respuens,
tuorum potius repleatur
delectionibus mandatorum.

LITERAL VERSION:
O Lord, we beseech You, be
propitious toward Your people,
that, from day to day, spewing out
what is not pleasing to You,
it (the people) may rather
be filled with the delights of your mandates.

The Veronese Sacramentary has it this way:

Esto, quaesumus, domine, propitius plebi tuae, ut, de die in diem, quae tibi non placent, respuentes, tuorum potius repleantur dilectionibus mandatorum et, mortalis vitae consolationibus gubernati, proficiant ad immortalitatis effectum.

Nice. You will also note that a version of this is the Collect in the Extraordinary Form today.

The imagery here, from Revelation 3:16, implies that God’s people, in imitation of our Judge, will also spew out what is not pleasing. But remember that God our Judge will spew what is tepid, uncommitted.

God is not pleased by tepidity, which a form of cowardice.

Sometimes we can get out back up about having to obey mandates that are imposed on us. We have free will. Some things are written into our beings because we are God’s images. Some things are given by divine positive law. Some other things are given Holy Church’s positive law. All of these mandates are for our good, not to oppress us. They are given so that we do not hurt ourselves, and so that we can get to heaven.

Obedience to laws establishes a springboard by which we can rise higher. We lose nothing of who we are by obeying God’s laws. When we submit our will to God, we begin to take delight in what we know is His will for us. As Picarda says in Dante’s Paradiso, “In his will is our peace”.

We must not be afraid to give ourselves wholly over to God’s will. Pope Benedict spoke of this at the end of his first great sermon as Vicar of Christ, at his inaugural Mass:

“Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished and deprived of our freedom? And once again the Pope said: No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great.”

Sticking with Dante for a moment more, in the Inferno, when Dante moves through the gate that says “Abandon all hope ye who enter here”, passing into the “fore-Hell”, he sees a great, bare plain upon which a vast multitude of souls run in a circle chasing a meaningless whirling banner. A great moaning wail rises up. As Dante gazes at them, he says, “I had not thought death had unmade so many.” As they run, wasps and flies sting them. These are the souls who were tepid, whom God spewed out. They are “hateful to God and His enemies”. As commentator Anthony Esolen describes them in his good translation, they are the “unnamed spirits whose cowardice relegates them to the vestibule”.

Dante is not trying, in the Divine Comedy, to describe actual Hell. His works is an exercise in poetic theory and political philosophy. But if it is mainly those, that doesn’t mean that we cannot use it for our spiritual reflection on the Four Last Things. This episode in the fore-Hell, with the tepid, gives urgency and force to the verb in todays Oratio super populum: respuo, “to spew out” what is displeasing to God.

Finally, the form of respuo here is an active participle in the singular, because is modifies plebs, God’s “people”. We are all in this together.

Remember: we are looking at the “Prayer over the people”.

As a whole people, a whole Church, we must reject what is displeasing to God and seek to do His will as espressed in natural law, divine positive law and in the laws of Holy Church. For this we need a strong sense of who we are as a Church, who we are as Catholics. And no revitalization of our Catholic identity will happen without a revitalization of our worship of God, that thing we raise to Him which, when authentic, is most pleasing because it is His due by the virtue of religion.

With a strong identity and fervent hearts we will be moved in action to influence those spheres which in our state in life are entrusted to us.

John
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	John 8
51.	Amen, amen I say to you: If any man keep my word, he shall not see death for ever.	Amen, amen dico vobis : si quis sermonem meum servaverit, mortem non videbit in æternum.	αμην αμην λεγω υμιν εαν τις τον λογον τον εμον τηρηση θανατον ου μη θεωρηση εις τον αιωνα
52.	The Jews therefore said: Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest: If any man keep my word, he shall not taste death for ever.	Dixerunt ergo Judæi : Nunc cognovimus quia dæmonium habes. Abraham mortuus est, et prophetæ ; et tu dicis : Si quis sermonem meum servaverit, non gustabit mortem in æternum.	ειπον ουν αυτω οι ιουδαιοι νυν εγνωκαμεν οτι δαιμονιον εχεις αβρααμ απεθανεν και οι προφηται και συ λεγεις εαν τις τον λογον μου τηρηση ου μη γευσηται θανατου εις τον αιωνα
53.	Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? and the prophets are dead. Whom dost thou make thyself?	Numquid tu major es patre nostro Abraham, qui mortuus est ? et prophetæ mortui sunt. Quem teipsum facis ?	μη συ μειζων ει του πατρος ημων αβρααμ οστις απεθανεν και οι προφηται απεθανον τινα σεαυτον συ ποιεις
54.	Jesus answered: If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father that glorifieth me, of whom you say that he is your God.	Respondit Jesus : Si ego glorifico meipsum, gloria mea nihil est : est Pater meus, qui glorificat me, quem vos dicitis quia Deus vester est,	απεκριθη ιησους εαν εγω δοξαζω εμαυτον η δοξα μου ουδεν εστιν εστιν ο πατηρ μου ο δοξαζων με ον υμεις λεγετε οτι θεος ημων εστιν
55.	And you have not known him, but I know him. And if I shall say that I know him not, I shall be like to you, a liar. But I do know him, and do keep his word.	et non cognovistis eum : ego autem novi eum. Et si dixero quia non scio eum, ero similis vobis, mendax. Sed scio eum, et sermonem ejus servo.	και ουκ εγνωκατε αυτον εγω δε οιδα αυτον και εαν ειπω οτι ουκ οιδα αυτον εσομαι ομοιος υμων ψευστης αλλ οιδα αυτον και τον λογον αυτου τηρω
56.	Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day: he saw it, and was glad.	Abraham pater vester exsultavit ut videret diem meum : vidit, et gavisus est.	αβρααμ ο πατηρ υμων ηγαλλιασατο ινα ιδη την ημεραν την εμην και ειδεν και εχαρη
57.	The Jews therefore said to him: Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?	Dixerunt ergo Judæi ad eum : Quinquaginta annos nondum habes, et Abraham vidisti ?	ειπον ουν οι ιουδαιοι προς αυτον πεντηκοντα ετη ουπω εχεις και αβρααμ εωρακας
58.	Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am.	Dixit eis Jesus : Amen, amen dico vobis, antequam Abraham fieret, ego sum.	ειπεν αυτοις ο ιησους αμην αμην λεγω υμιν πριν αβρααμ γενεσθαι εγω ειμι
59.	They took up stones therefore to cast at him. But Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.	Tulerunt ergo lapides, ut jacerent in eum : Jesus autem abscondit se, et exivit de templo.	ηραν ουν λιθους ινα βαλωσιν επ αυτον ιησους δε εκρυβη και εξηλθεν εκ του ιερου διελθων δια μεσου αυτων και παρηγεν ουτως

51. Verily, verily, I say to you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

GREG. As the perversity of the wicked increases, preaching so far from giving way, ought even to become more active. Thus our Lord, after He had been accused of having a devil, imparts the treasures of preaching in a still larger degree: Verily, verily, I say to you, If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death.

AUG. See is put for experience. But since, about to die Himself, He spoke with those about to die, what means this, If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death? What, but that He saw another death from which He came to free us, death eternal, the death of the damned, which is shared with the devil and his angels! That is the true death: the other is a passage only.

ORIGEN. We must understand Him, as it were, to say, If a man keep My light, he shall not see darkness forever; forever being taken as common to both clauses, as if the sentence were, If a man keep My saying for ever, He shall not see death for ever: meaning that a man does not see death, so long as he keeps Christ's word. But when a man, by becoming sluggish in the observance of His words, and negligent in the keeping of his own heart, ceases to keep them, he then sees death; he brings it upon himself. Thus taught then by our Savior, to the prophet who asks, What man is he that lives, and shall not see death? we are able to answer, He who keeps Christ's word.

CHRYS. He says, keep, i.e. not by faith, but by purity of life. And at the same time too He means it as a tacit intimation that they can do nothing to Him. For if whoever keeps His word, shall never die, much less is it possible that He Himself should die.

52. Then said the Jews to him, Now we know that you have a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and you say, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.
53. Are you greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead; whom make you yourself?
54. Jesus answered, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing; it is my Father that honors me; of whom you say, that he is your God:
55. Yet you have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like to you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
56. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

GREG. As it is necessary that the good should grow better by contumely, so are the reprobate made worse by kindness On hearing our Lord's words, the Jews again blaspheme: Then said the Jews to Him, Now we know you have a devil.

ORIGEN. Those who believe the Holy Scriptures, understand that what men do contrary to right reason, is not done without the operation of devils. Thus the Jews thought that Jesus had spoken by the influence of the devil, when He said, If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death. And this idea they labored under, because they did not know the power of God. For here He was speaking of that death of enmity to reason, by which sinners perish: whereas they understand Him of that death which is common to all; and therefore blame Him for so speaking, when it was certain that Abraham and the Prophets were dead: Abraham is dead, and the Prophets; and you say, If man keep My saying, be shall never taste of death. Shall never taste of death, they say, instead of, shall not see death; though between tasting and seeing death there is a difference. Like careless hearers, they mistake what our Lord said. For as our Lord, in that He is the true bread, is good to taste; in that He is wisdom, is beautiful to behold; in like manner His adversary death is both to be tasted and seen. When then a man stands by Christ's help in the spiritual place pointed out to him, he shall not taste of death if he preserves that state: according to Matthew, There those standing here, which shall not taste of death. But when a man hears Christ's words and keeps them, he shall not see death.

CHRYS. Again, they have recourse to the vainglorious argument of their descent: Are you greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? They might have said, Are you greater than God, whose words they are dead who heard? But they do not say this, because they thought Him inferior even to Abraham.

ORIGEN. For they do not see that not Abraham only, but every one born of women, is less than He who was born of a Virgin. Now were the Jews right in saying that Abraham was dead? for he heard the word of Christ, and kept it, as did also the Prophets, who, they say, were dead. For they kept the word of the Son of God, when the word of the Lord came to Hosea, Isaiah, or Jeremiah; if any one else kept the word, surely those Prophets did. They utter a lie then when they say, We know that you have a devil; and when they say, Abraham is dead, and the Prophets.

GREG. For being given over to eternal death, which death they saw not, and thinking only, as they did, of the death of the body, their minds were darkened, even while the Truth Himself was speaking. They add: Whom makes you Yourself?

THEOPHYL. As if to say, you a person of no account, a carpenter's son of Galilee, to take glory to Yourself!

BEDE. Whom make you Yourself? i.e. Of what merit, of what dignity would you be accounted? Nevertheless, Abraham only died in the body; his soul lived. And the death of the soul which is to live for ever, is greater than the death of the body that must die some time.

ORIGEN. This was the speech of persons spiritually blind. For Jesus did not make Himself what He was, but received it from the Father: Jesus answered and said, If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.

CHRYS. This is to answer their suspicions as above, If I bear witness of Myself My witness is not true.

BEDE. He shows in these words that the glory of this present life is nothing.

AUG. This is to answer those who said, Whom make you Yourself? He refers His glory to the Father, from Whom He is: It is My Father that honors Me. The Arians take occasion from those words to calumniate our faith, and say, Lo, the Father is greater, for He glorifies the Son. Heretics, have you not read that the Son also glorifies the Father?

ALCUIN. The Father glorified the Son, at His baptism, on the mount, at the time of His passion, when a voice came to Him, in the midst of the crowd, when He raised Him up again after His passion, and placed Him at the right hand of His Majesty.

CHRYS. He adds, Of whom you say that He is your God; meaning to tell them that they were not only ignorant of the Father, but even of God.

THEOPHYL. For had they known the Father really, they would have reverenced the Son. But they even despise God, who in the Law forbade murder, by their clamors against Christ. Wherefore He says, You have not known Him.

ALCUIN. As if to say, you call Him your God, after a carnal manner, serving Him for temporal rewards. You have not known Him, as He should be known; you are not able to serve Him spiritually.

AUG. Some heretics say that the God proclaimed in the Old Testament is not the Father of Christ, but a kind of prince of bad angels. These He contradicts when He calls Him His Father, whom the Jews called their God, and knew not. For had they known Him, they would have received His Son. Of Himself however He adds, But I know Him. And here too, to men judging after the flesh, He might appear arrogant. But let not arrogance be so guarded against, as that truth be deserted. Therefore our Lord says, And if I should say I know Him not, I should be a liar like to you.

CHRYS. As if to say, As you, saying that you know Him, lie; so were I a liar, did I say I knew Him not. It follows, however, (which is the greatest proof of all that He was sent from God,) But I know Him.

THEOPHYL. Having that knowledge by nature; for as I am, so is the Father also; I know Myself, and therefore I know Him. And He gives the proof that He knows Him: And I keep His saying, i.e. His commandments. Some understand, I keep His saying, to mean, I keep the nature of His substance unchanged; for the substance of the Father and the Son is the same, as their nature is the same; and therefore I know the Father. And here has the force of because: I know Him because I keep His saying.

AUG. He spoke the saying of the Father too, as being the Son; and He was Himself that Word of the Father, which He spoke to men.

CHRYS. In answer then to their question, Are you greater than our father Abraham, He shows them that He is greater than Abraham; Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: he saw it, and was glad; he must have rejoiced, because My day would benefit him, which is to acknowledge Me greater than himself.

THEOPHYL. As if to say, He regarded My day, as a day to be desired, and full of joy; not as if I was an unimportant or common person.

AUG. He did not fear, but rejoiced to see: he rejoiced in hope, believing, and so by faith saw. It admits of doubt whether He is speaking here of the temporal day of the Lord, that, viz. of His coming in the flesh, or of that day which knows s neither rising or setting. I doubt not however that our father Abraham knew the whole: as he says to his servant whom he sent, Put your hand under my thigh, and swear to me by the God of heaven. What did that oath signify, but that the God of heaven was to come in the flesh, out of the stock of Abraham.

GREG. Abraham saw the day of the Lord even then, when he entertained the three Angels, a figure of the Trinity.

CHRYS. They are aliens from Abraham if they grieve over what he rejoiced in. By this day perhaps He means the day of the cross, which Abraham prefigured by the offering up of Isaac and the ram: intimating hereby that He did not come to His passion unwillingly.

AUG. If they rejoiced to whom the Word appeared in the flesh, what was his joy, who beheld in spiritual vision the light ineffable, the abiding Word, the bright illumination of pious souls, the indefectible wisdom, still abiding with God the Father, and sometime to come in the flesh, but not to leave the Father's bosom.

57. Then said the Jews to him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?
58. Jesus said to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, Before Abraham was, I am.
59. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

GREG. The carnal minds of the Jews are intent on the flesh only; they think only of His age in the flesh: Then said the Jews to Him, you are not fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham? that is to say, Many ages have passed since Abraham died; and how then could he see your day? For they took His words in a carnal sense.

THEOPHYL. Christ was then thirty-three years old. Why then do they not say, You are not yet forty years old, instead of fifty? A needless question this: they simply spoke as chance led them at the time. Some however say that they mentioned the fiftieth year on account of its sacred character, as being the year of jubilee, in which they redeemed their captives, and gave up the possessions they had bought.

GREG. Our Savior mildly draws them away from their carnal view, to the contemplation of His Divinity; Jesus said to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, Before Abraham was, I am. Before is a particle of past time, am, of present. Divinity has no past or future, but always the present; and therefore He does not say, Before Abraham was, I was: but, Before Abraham was, I am: as it is in Exodus, I am that I am. Before and after might be said of Abraham with reference to different periods of his life; to be, in the present, is said of the truth only.

AUG. Abraham being a creature, He did not say before Abraham was, but, before Abraham was made. Nor does He say, I am made; because that, in the beginning WAS the Word.

GREG. Their unbelieving minds, however, were unable to support these indications of eternity; and not understanding Him, sought to destroy Him: Then they took up stones to cast at Him.

AUG. Such hardness of heart, whither was it to run, but to its truest likeness, even the stones? But now that He had done all that He could do as a teacher, and they in return wished to stone Him, since they could not bear correction, He leaves them: Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple. He did not hide Himself in a corner of the temple, as if He was afraid, or take refuge in a house, or run behind a wall, or a pillar; but by His heavenly power, making Himself invisible to His enemies, went through the midst of them: Jesus hid Himself, and, went out of the temple.

GREG. Who, had He chosen to exert the power of His Divinity, could, without a word, by His mere nod, have seized them, with the very stones in their hands, and delivered them to immediate death. But He who came to suffer, was slow to execute judgment.

AUG. For His part was more to exhibit patience than exercise power.

ALCUIN. He fled, because His hour was not yet come; and because He had not chosen this kind of death.

AUG. So then, as a man, He flies from the stones; but woe to them, from whose stony hearts God flies.

BEDE. Mystically, a man throws a stone at Jesus, as often as he harbors an evil thought, and if he follows it up, so far as lies in him, he kills Jesus.

GREG. What does our Lord mean by hiding Himself, but that the truth is hidden to them, who despise His words. The truth flies the company of an unhumbled soul. His example shows us, that we should in all humility rather retreat from the wrath of the proud, when it rises, than resist it, even though we might be able.

Catena Aurea John 8

Christ Descends into Limbo

Sebastiano del Piombo

1516
Oil on canvas, 226 x 114 cm
Museo del Prado, Madrid

The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 8:51-59

“I am.” (John 8:58)

When Moses asked God his name in the burning bush, God replied: “I am who am”—a phrase that can also be translated as: “I will cause to be what I will cause to be” (Exodus 3:14). Ultimately, no translation is entirely satisfactory, because “this divine name is mysterious just as God is mystery … infinitely above everything that we can understand” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 206). And yet, in telling Moses his name, God gave the Israelites a precious gift: the revelation of his divine Person and of his continuing, saving presence.

Centuries later, many Jews who prided themselves on being descendants of Abraham and disciples of Moses failed to recognize that Jesus was God in their midst (John 8:33,39; 9:28). Abraham had received God’s promises with faith and rejoiced as he looked forward to their fulfillment. But sadly, many of those who actually encountered the long-awaited Messiah scoffed at his claims.

Jesus gave an amazing reply to these skeptics. “Before Abraham came to be,” he declared, “I am” (John 8:58). By using words taken directly from Exodus—words whose significance Jesus’ listeners certainly understood—he was openly stating his divine, eternal nature.

I am. I am he. I am the One who has been with you from the days of Abraham. I am the One who brings life, blessing, peace, and salvation. Believe in me. Follow me. Trust me. This is what God told Moses on Mount Horeb. And it’s what Jesus wants to tell us today. He wants to convince us, by the power of his revelation, that he has nothing but good planned for us.

On Horeb, God drew Moses into his presence. Seeing the burning bush, Moses couldn’t just shrug his shoulders and walk away; he felt a divine pull that he simply had to follow. Likewise, Jesus is in heaven, but he is also calling out to us, drawing us to himself. Every day, he wants to reveal to us the mysteries of his love and his promise of salvation. Every day, he wants to lift us into his presence and assure us that he is the great I am. What a loving God we have!

“Thank you, Jesus, for revealing yourself to me! Teach me to recognize your presence and to welcome your power at work in my life.”

Genesis 17:3-9; Psalm 105:4-9

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for March 29, 2012:

Are you and your spouse of different religions? Interreligious couples can be pulled into a deeper understanding of their faith when explaining it to their beloved–and learning about the other’s religion. Praying at home is often unifying.

Vultus Christi

The Inner Sanctuary Beyond the Veil

By

Father Mark

on March 29, 2012 9:00 AM |

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Genesis 17: 3-9
Psalm 104: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (R. 8a)
John 8: 51-59

Christ our Priest

On this Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent, the last Thursday before Holy Week, the Roman Missal gives an Entrance Antiphon drawn not from the Psalms, but from the Letter to the Hebrews. “Christ is the mediator of the New Covenant, that by means of His death, they that are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance” (Heb 9:15). The mediatorship of Christ, our High Priest fills us with hope: “A fuller hope has been brought into our lives, enabling us to come close to God” (Heb 7:19).

Through Christ and in Christ

The Roman Gradual gives an Introit from the Book of the Prophet Daniel: “Every thing that Thou hast done to us, Thou hast done in true judgment, for we have sinned against Thee, and we have not hearkened to Thy commandments, but give glory to Thy name, O Lord, and deal with us according to the multitude of Thy mercies” (Dan 3: 31, 29, 30, 43, 42). Here again, the mediatorship of Christ is evoked, albeit implicitly: it is through Christ that the name of the Father is glorified, and it is in Christ that the Father deals with us according to multitude of His mercies.

The Father Sees Us Through the Wounds of Christ

Covenant means coming together. Christ, our Priest and Head, offering His Precious Blood on our behalf, “enables us to come close to God” (Heb 7:1919), by bringing us with Him into the presence of the Father. “The sanctuary into which Jesus has entered is not one made by human hands, is not some adumbration of the truth; he has entered heaven itself, where he now appears in God’s sight on our behalf” (Heb 9:24). The Father looks at our faces through the Face of His Beloved Son. The Father looks at our hands, defiled by sin, through His pierced Hands. The Father looks into our hearts, impure and divided, through the Heart of Jesus, opened by the soldier’s lance.

The Blood of Christ

“Shall not the blood of Christ, who offered himself, through the Holy Spirit, as a victim unblemished in God’s sight, purify our consciences, and set them free from lifeless observances, to serve the living God?” (Heb 9:14). The Father, seeing us sprinkled with the Precious Blood of the Lamb, accepts us and, through His Son, draws us to Himself. “But now, you are in Christ Jesus; now, through the Blood of Christ, you have been brought close, you who were once, so far away” (Eph 2:13). This is the meaning of the New Covenant: in the Blood Christ God has come out to us; and we, in the Blood of Christ, have gone out to God. No longer can the Father look upon His Son without seeing us, the members of His Mystical Body. No longer can He look at us without seeing the Bride “clothed in readiness for the Wedding Feast of the Lamb” (Ap 19:7), the Church “for whom Christ gave Himself up, that he might sanctify her” (Eph 5:25-26). The Blood of Christ authorizes us to pray with boldness. Lips sanctified by the Blood of Christ can dare to say, “Abba, Father!”

Sons in the Son

In the Gospel, Our Lord speaks to us of His eternal communion with the Father. “I know Him,” he says (Jn 8:55). He knows the Father from the beginning: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1). Christ, by virtue of his Eternal Priesthood, draws us after Him into thrice-holy sanctuary of His communion with the Father, in the Holy Spirit. He shares with us His own Heart’s knowledge of the Father by making us sharers, by grace, in His divine sonship. Blessed Abbot Marmion frequently repeated that, “we are by grace what He, Christ, is by nature.” We are sons in Christ the Son, priests in Christ the Priest.

Thursday Adoration

The only response adequate to the grace of our divine adoption is adoration: the “adoration in spirit and in truth” (Jn 4:24) that the Father Himself seeks. Eucharistic adoration draws us into the sonship of Christ and into the mystery of His mediation, that is, of His victimal priesthood. A foundress of the last century wrote: “In spite of my misery, or rather because of it, I ceaselessly rejoice that the most pure Host, the radiant Host that gives strength, should be exposed among us every Thursday.” At Santa Croce in Gerusalemme and in many other monasteries, Thursday, the day of the Priesthood and of the Eucharist, is marked by exposition and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Into the Inner Sanctuary, Beyond the Veil

The practice of Eucharist adoration on Thursday is an incentive and a great grace, one that, if we are docile and open, will carry us into the heart of the Paschal Mystery, into “that inner sanctuary beyond the veil, which Jesus Christ, our escort, has entered already, a high priest now, eternally with the priesthood of Melchisedech” (Heb 6:19-20).

Regnum Christi

Keeping His Word

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

John 8:51-59

Jesus said to the Jews: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death." So the Jews said to him, "Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ´Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.´ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?" Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ´He is our God.´ You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word. Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad. So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM." So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the Temple area.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, you are life and truth and goodness. You are also peace and mercy. How grateful I am to have this moment to turn to you. Without you I can do nothing good. In fact, when I do good, it is you working through me, despite my failings. Thank you, Lord. Here I am ready to love you more.

Petition: May I hear your voice, Lord, and not harden my heart to that which you ask of me today.

1. The Real Enemy: Today we find Jesus in animated conversation with the Jews. They seem to discuss the same topic – death — but in fact they refer to two very different understandings of one reality. The Jews speak of death in a material way, whereas Jesus speaks of it in a spiritual way, with his description of death of far greater consequence than the former. Christ warns us about the gravity of spiritual death, which is the consequence of serious sin. This is why the Church traditionally prays, in the Litany of the Saints, to be freed from mors perpetua (everlasting death), the spiritual death which Jesus warned against. Lent is the time to eradicate all forms of this evil from our lives, especially through the positive practices of prayer, penance and almsgiving.

2. Only the Spirit Gives Life: Jesus’ interlocutors are never able to penetrate the meaning of his words because they think in a purely material way. Only with a spirit of faith and the aid of the Holy Spirit can we understand the things of God. Today’s world is rife with what we could call a spirit of materialism. It looks to material things and values as the solution to everything. But have you noticed how it seems that the more our material wealth and technical capacity grow, the emptier we become on the inside, and the more hollow our western culture becomes? Material things are necessary, for we are part matter. But a purely material explanation will never be able to address the deeper needs of the human person. As Christ said: “Only the Spirit gives life” (John 6:63).We must strive to adopt a spiritual or supernatural way of living and see ourselves and our world from this point of view, so as not to become blind to a truth that transcends matter.

3. Open to a Challenge: Jesus’ challenge to raise the eyes of the heart and soul to a spiritual level is met with fierce opposition. In fact, his listeners want to stone him! Christ always challenges us to go higher. And he does this as a manifestation of his love. How do I respond to this challenge in my own life?

Conversation with Christ:

You have spoken, Lord,

in the silence of my night

and your word has engraved your will in my heart.

Because you spoke,

there is a will in you that I know:

It is the will of your commands.

I want to fulfill that will, Lord.

I want to believe according to your doctrine.

To hope according to your promises.

To love and live according to your guidance and laws.

Resolution: I will foster a more spiritual way of seeing myself, others and the world.

Hope

The resurrection is not only a historical event; it is an experience
that needs to be transmitted from generation to generation. We are all
invited to pass this experience of the resurrection to others. We
cannot call ourselves Christian, if we have not experienced the
resurrection of Christ in our own lives.

In moments of despair, during our deepest frustrations, perhaps even
during the death of a loved one, we as Christians have experience
Christ’s intervention and resurrection which brings us out of the tomb
and transforms our misery to a faith that enjoins us to Christ who is
truly risen.

Let us examine our lives, looking back, when did we experience the
Lord’s resurrection in us? Did we search for him? Did we recognize
him?

One Bread, One Body

<< Thursday, March 29, 2012 >>

Saint of the Day

Genesis 17:3-9
View Readings

Psalm 105:4-9

John 8:51-59

TEN DAYS TILL COVENANT RENEWAL

"My covenant with you is this: you are to become the father of a host of nations." —Genesis 17:4

A covenant is an agreement to be in a personal relationship with someone. Those in a covenant agree to do certain things which will promote growth in their love for each other. God made a covenant with Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, etc. The people who entered into these covenants with God often broke their covenants. However, the Lord promised a new, unbroken covenant: "The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah" (Jer 31:31).

We don't break this new covenant for it is written in our hearts (Jer 31:33). The new covenant was written in Jesus' blood when He died for us on Calvary. The details of the covenant are not only within us and written on our hearts (Jer 31:33), but the Covenant-Maker, God, lives inside us. We enter into this new covenant by Baptism. In this way, we receive a new nature by which we are capable of living out the covenant. We become adopted children of God and brothers and sisters of the one-and- a-half billion other people in the covenant. We renew this covenant at Mass on the greatest day of the year, Easter Sunday. We do this by renewing our baptismal promises. In about ten days, we will renew the covenant. Prepare, fast, and pray.

Prayer: Father, may I believe that other Christians are literally my brothers and sisters.

Promise: "I solemnly assure you, if a man is true to My Word he shall never see death." —Jn 8:51

Praise: Antonio gave up a lucrative pension, retired early, sold his home and possessions, and moved out of state so that he and his wife could minister full-time for Habitat for Humanity with a community of believers.

Daily Readings for: March 29, 2012(Readings on USCCB website)

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

Lent: March 29th

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Meditation: John 8:51-59

The Inner Sanctuary Beyond the Veil

Hope

One Bread, One Body

TEN DAYS TILL COVENANT RENEWAL

Daily Readings for: March 29, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)