April 21, 2013

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Reading 1 Acts 13:14, 43-52

Paul and Barnabas continued on from Perga
and reached Antioch in Pisidia.
On the sabbath they entered the synagogue and took their seats.
Many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaism
followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them
and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God.

On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered
to hear the word of the Lord.
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy
and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.
Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said,
“It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first,
but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.”

The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this
and glorified the word of the Lord.
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region.
The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers
and the leading men of the city,
stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas,
and expelled them from their territory.
So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them,
and went to Iconium.
The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5

R. (3c) We are his people, the sheep of his flock.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. We are his people, the sheep of his flock.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. We are his people, the sheep of his flock.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. We are his people, the sheep of his flock.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 Rev 7:9, 14b-17

I, John, had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.

Then one of the elders said to me,
“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

“For this reason they stand before God’s throne
and worship him day and night in his temple.
The one who sits on the throne will shelter them.
They will not hunger or thirst anymore,
nor will the sun or any heat strike them.
For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne
will shepherd them
and lead them to springs of life-giving water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Gospel Jn 10:27-30

Jesus said:
“My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.”

For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

1 posted on 04/20/2013 9:18:04 PM PDT by Salvation

To: nickcarraway; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; ArrogantBustard; Catholicguy; RobbyS; marshmallow; ...

Alleluia Ping!

If you aren’t on this ping list NOW and would like to be,

please Freepmail me.

2 posted on 04/20/2013 9:19:26 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

From: Acts 13:14, 43-52

They Cross into Asia Minor (Continuation)

[13] But they (Paul and his company) passed on from Perga and came to An-
tioch of Pisidia.

Preaching in the Synagogue of Antioch of Pisidia

And on the sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. [43] And
when the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts
to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to
continue in the grace of God.

Paul and Barnabas Preaches to the Pagans

[44] The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered together to hear the Word
of God. [45] But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealou-
sy, and contradicted what was spoken by Paul, and reviled him. [46] And Paul
and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the Word of God
should be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves
unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. [47] For so the Lord has
commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, that you
may bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.’”

[48] And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the Word of
God; and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. [49] And the Word
of the Lord spread throughout all the region. [50] But the Jews incited the devout
women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and stirred up persecu-
tion against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. [51] But
they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and went to Iconium. [52]
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

45. The opposition of these Jews, who in their jealousy contradict what Paul
says, will from now be the typical attitude of the synagogue to the Gospel. It
emerges everywhere the Apostle goes, with the exception of Beroea (cf. 17:10-
12).

46. Paul may have been hoping that Christianity would flourish on the soil of Ju-
daism, that the Jews would peacefully and religiously accept the Gospel as the
natural development of God’s plans. His experience proved otherwise: he encoun-
tered the terrible mystery of the infidelity of most of the chosen people, his own
people.

Even if Israel had been faithful to God’s promises, it would still have been neces-
sary to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. The evangelization of the pagan world
is not a consequence of Jewish rejection of the Word; it is required by the univer-
sal character of Christianity. To all men Christianity is the only channel of saving
grace; it perfects the Law of Moses and reaches out beyond the ethnic and geo-
graphical frontiers of Judaism.

47. Paul and Barnabas quote Isaiah 49:6 in support of their decision to preach to
the Gentiles. The Isaiah text referred to Christ, as Luke 3:32 confirms. But now
Paul and Barnabas apply it to themselves because the Messiah is “light for the
Gentiles” through the preaching of the Apostles, for they are conscious of spea-
king in Christ’s name and on His authority. Therefore, probably here “the Lord”
refers not to God the Father but to Christ.

51. “They shook the dust from their feet”: a traditional expression: the Jews regar-
ded as unclean the dust of anywhere other than the holy land of Palestine. Our
Lord extended the meaning of the phrase when He told the disciples He was sen-
ding them out to preach, “If any one will not receive you or listen to your words,
shake off the dust from your feet” (Matthew 10:14; cf. Luke 9:5). This gesture of
Paul and Barnabas echoes what Jesus said and amounted to “closing the case”
or putting on record the unbelief of the Jews.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

3 posted on 04/20/2013 9:21:36 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

From: Revelation 7: 9, 14b-17

The Great Multitude of the Saved (Continuation)

[9] After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number,
from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the
throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their
hands.

[14b] And he (one of the elders) said to me, “These are they who have come out
of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb.

[15] “Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night
within his temple; and he who sits upon the throne will shelter them with his pre-
sence. [16] They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not
strike them, nor any scorching heat. [17] For the Lamb in the midst of the throne
will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God
will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

9-17. Pope John Paul II has commented on this passage as follows: “The people
dressed in white robes whom John sees with his prophetic eye are the redeemed,
and they form a ‘great multitude’, which no one could count and which is made up
of people of the most varied backgrounds. The blood of the Lamb, who has been
offered in sacrifice for all, has exercised its universal and most effective redemp-
tive power in every corner of the earth, extending grace and salvation to that ‘great
multitude’. After undergoing the trials and being purified in the blood of Christ, they
—the redeemed—are now safe in the Kingdom of God, whom they praise and bless
for ever and ever” (”Homily”, 1 November 1981). This great crowd includes all the
saved and not just the martyrs, for it says that they washed their robes in the
blood of the Lamb, not in their own blood.

Everyone has to become associated with Christ’s passion through suffering, as
St Augustine explains, not without a certain humor: “Many are martyrs in their
beds. The Christian is lying on his couch, tormented by pain. He prays and his
prayers are not heard, or perhaps they are heard but he is being put to the test
...so that he may be received as a son. He becomes a martyr through illness
and is crowned by him who hung upon the Cross” (”Sermon” 286, 8).

“It is consoling and encouraging to know that those who attain heaven constitute
a huge multitude. The passages of Matthew 7:14 and Luke 13:24 which seem to
imply that very few will be saved should be interpreted in the light of this vision,
which shows that the infinite value of Christ’s blood makes God’s will be done:
“(God) desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”
(1 Tim 2:4).

In vv 14-17 we see the blessed in two different situations—first, before the resur-
rection of the body (v. 14) and, then, after it, when body and soul have been reu-
nited (vv. 15-17). In this second situation the nature of risen bodies is highlighted:
they cannot suffer pain or inconvenience of any kind: they are out of harm’s reach;
they have the gift of “impassibility” (cf. “St Pius V Catechism”, I, 12, 13).

This consoling scene is included in the vision to encourage believers to imitate
those Christians who were like us and now find themselves in heaven because
they have come through victorious. The Church invites us to pray along similar
lines: “Father, you sanctified the Church of Rome with the blood of its first mar-
tyrs. May we find strength from their courage and rejoice in their triumph” (”Ro-
man Missal”, Feast of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome, opening prayer).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

4 posted on 04/20/2013 9:22:30 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

From: John 10:27-30

Jesus and the Father are One

[Jesus said,] [27] My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow
Me; [28] and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one
shall snatch them out of My hand. [29] My Father, who has given them to Me,
is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
[30] I and the Father are one.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

26-29. Certainly faith and eternal life cannot be merited by man’s own efforts:
they are a gift of God. But the Lord does not deny anyone grace to believe and be
saved, because He ‘wishes all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of
the Truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). If someone tries to avoid receiving the gift of faith, his
unbelief is blameworthy. On this point St. Thomas Aquinas teaches: “I can see,
thanks to the light of the sun; but if I close my eyes, I cannot see: this is no fault
of the sun, it is my own fault, because by closing my eyes, I prevent the sunlight
from reaching me” (”Commentary on St. John, ad loc.”).

But those who do not oppose divine grace do come to believe in Jesus. They are
known to and loved by Him, enter under His protection and remain faithful with
the help of His grace, which is a pledge of the eternal life which the Good Shep-
herd will eventually give them. It is true that in this world they will have to strive
and in the course of striving they will sustain wounds; but if they stay united to
the Good Shepherd nothing and no one will snatch Christ’s sheep from Him, be-
cause our Father, God, is stronger than the Evil One. Our hope that God will grant
us final perseverance is not based on our strength but on God’s mercy: this hope
should always motivate us to strive to respond to grace and to be more faithful to
the demands of our faith.

30. Jesus reveals that He and the Father are one in substance. Earlier He pro-
claimed that God was His Father, “making Himself equal with God”— which is
why a number of times the Jewish authorities think of putting Him to death (cf.
5:18; 8:59). Now He speaks about the mystery of God, which is something we
can know about only through Revelation. Later on He will reveal more about this
mystery, particularly at the Last Supper (14:10; 17:21-22). It is something the
evangelist reflects on at the very beginning of the Gospel, in the prologue (cf.
John 1:1 and note).

“Listen to the Son Himself”, St. Augustine invites us. “’I and the Father are one.’
He did not say, ‘I am the Father’ or ‘I and the Father are one [Person].’ But when
He says, ‘I and the Father are one,’ notice the two words ‘[we are]’ and ‘one’ ...
For if they are one, then they are not diverse; if ‘[we] are’, then there is both a Fa-
ther and a Son” (”In Ioann. Evang.”, 36, 9). Jesus reveals that He is one in sub-
stance with the Father as far as divine essence or nature is concerned, but He al-
so reveals that the Father and the Son are distinct Persons: “We believe then in
the Father who eternally begets the Son; in the Son, the Word of God, who is et-
ernally begotten; in the Holy Spirit, the uncreated Person who proceeds from the
Father and the Son as their eternal Love. Thus in the three divine Persons, “co-
aeternae sibi et coaequales”, the life and beatitude of God perfectly One supera-
bound and are consummated in the supreme excellence and glory proper to un-
created Being, and always ‘there should be venerated Unity in the Trinity and Tri-
nity in the Unity’” (Paul VI, “Creed of the People of God,” 10).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

5 posted on 04/20/2013 9:23:32 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Readings at Mass

First reading	Acts 13:14,43-52 ©

Paul and Barnabas carried on from Perga till they reached Antioch in Pisidia. Here they went to synagogue on the Sabbath and took their seats.

When the meeting broke up many Jews and devout converts joined Paul and Barnabas, and in their talks with them Paul and Barnabas urged them to remain faithful to the grace God had given them.

The next sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of God. When they saw the crowds, the Jews, prompted by jealousy, used blasphemies and contradicted everything Paul said. Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly. ‘We had to proclaim the word of God to you first, but since you have rejected it, since you do not think yourselves worthy of eternal life, we must turn to the pagans. For this is what the Lord commanded us to do when he said:

I have made you a light for the nations,

so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.’

It made the pagans very happy to hear this and they thanked the Lord for his message; all who were destined for eternal life became believers. Thus the word of the Lord spread through the whole countryside.

But the Jews worked upon some of the devout women of the upper classes and the leading men of the city and persuaded them to turn against Paul and Barnabas and expel them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in defiance and went off to Iconium; but the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

Psalm	Psalm 99:1-3,5 ©

We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Alleluia!

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Serve the Lord with gladness.

Come before him, singing for joy.

We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Alleluia!

Know that he, the Lord, is God.

He made us, we belong to him,

we are his people, the sheep of his flock.

We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Alleluia!

Indeed, how good is the Lord,

eternal his merciful love.

He is faithful from age to age.

We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Alleluia!

Second reading	Apocalypse 7:9,14-17 ©

I, John, saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. One of the elders said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and because they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb, they now stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them, because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.’

Gospel Acclamation	Jn10:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;

I know my own sheep and my own know me.

Alleluia!

Gospel	John 10:27-30 ©

Jesus said:

‘The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;

I know them and they follow me.

I give them eternal life;

they will never be lost

and no one will ever steal them from me.

The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,

and no one can steal from the Father.

The Father and I are one.’

6 posted on 04/20/2013 10:26:41 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

7 posted on 04/20/2013 10:28:39 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

He is Risen! Truly Risen!

A blessed Eastertide to all!

8 posted on 04/20/2013 10:30:17 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

9 posted on 04/20/2013 10:31:05 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

10 posted on 04/20/2013 10:31:44 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

11 posted on 04/20/2013 10:32:12 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Jesus, High Priest

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.
The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

12 posted on 04/20/2013 10:34:15 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

Pray the Rosary

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: 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. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary

By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

13 posted on 04/20/2013 10:35:03 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

~ PRAYER ~

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+

14 posted on 04/20/2013 10:36:20 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

A Prayer for our Free Nation Under God
God Save Our Country web site (prayer warriors)
Prayer Chain Request for the United States of America
Pray for Nancy Pelosi
Prayer and fasting will help defeat health care reform (Freeper Prayer Thread)
Prayer Campaign Started to Convert Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians to Pro-Life
[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries
Non-stop Rosary vigil to defeat ObamaCare

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:

"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"

PLEASE JOIN US -

Evening Prayer
Someone has said that if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.
Did you know that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. Please forward this to your praying friends.

15 posted on 04/20/2013 10:37:22 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

April Devotion: The Blessed Sacrament

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The Church traditionally encouraged the month of April for increased devotion to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. "The Church in the course of the centuries has introduced various forms of this Eucharistic worship which are ever increasing in beauty and helpfulness; as, for example, visits of devotion to the tabernacles, even every day; Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament; solemn processions, especially at the time of Eucharistic Congresses, which pass through cities and villages; and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament publicly exposed . . . These exercises of piety have brought a wonderful increase in faith and supernatural life to the Church militant upon earth and they are re-echoed to a certain extent by the Church triumphant in heaven, which sings continually a hymn of praise to God and to the Lamb 'Who was slain.'" --Pope Pius XII

ACT OF ADORATION
I adore Thee, 0 Jesus, true God and true Man, here present in the Holy Eucharist, humbly kneeling before Thee and united in spirit with all the faithful on earth and all the blessed in heaven. In deepest gratitude for so great a blessing, I love Thee, my Jesus, with my whole heart, for Thou art all perfect and all worthy of love.

Give me grace nevermore in any way to offend Thee, and grant that I, being refreshed by Thy Eucharistic presence here on earth, may be found worthy to come to the enjoyment with Mary of Thine eternal and everblessed presence in heaven. Amen.

FAITH IN THE EUCHARIST
O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art really and corporally present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. I adore Thee here present from the very depths of my heart, and I worship Thy sacred presence with all possible humility. O my soul, what joy to have Jesus Christ always with us, and to be able to speak to Him, heart to heart, with all confidence. Grant, O Lord, that I, having adored Thy divine Majesty here on earth in this wonderful Sacrament, may be able to adore it eternally in Heaven. Amen.

FOR THE PEACE OF CHRIST
O most sacred, most loving heart of Jesus, Thou art concealed in the Holy Eucharist, and Thou beatest for us still. Now as then Thou sayest, "With desire I have desired." I worship Thee, then, with all my best love and awe, with my fervent affection, with my most subdued, most resolved will. O make my heart beat with Thy heart. Purify it of all that is earthly, all that is proud and sensual, all that is hard and cruel, of all perversity, of all disorder, of all deadness. So fill it with Thee, that neither the events of the day nor the circumstances of the time may have power to ruffle it; but that in Thy love and Thy fear it may have peace. --Cardinal Newman

ACT OF LOVE
I believe Thou art present in the Blessed Sacrament, O Jesus. I love Thee and desire Thee. Come into my heart. I embrace Thee, O never leave me. I beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus, may the burning and most sweet power of Thy love absorb my mind, that I may die through love of Thy love, who wast graciously pleased to die through love of my love. --St. Francis of Assisi

ACT OF REPARATION
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, well known in connection with devotion to the Sacred Herat of Jesus, led the way in making reparation to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for the coldness and ingratitude of men. This prayer of hers can become our own as we attempt to make amends for our own and others' neglect of the great Sacrament of His love, the Eucharist.
O kind and merciful savior, from my heart I earnestly desire to return Thee love for love. My greatest sorrow is that Thou art not loved by men, and, in particular, that my own heart is so cold, so selfish, so ungrateful. Keenly aware of my own weakness and poverty, I trust that Thy own grace will enable me to offer Thee an act of pure love. And I wish to offer Thee this act of love in reparation for the coldness and neglect that are shown to Thee in the sacrament of Thy love by Thy creatures. O Jesus, my supreme good, I love Thee, not for the sake of the reward which Thou hast promised to those who love Thee, but purely for Thyself. I love Thee above all things that can be loved, above all pleasures, and above myself and all that is not Thee, promising in the presence of heaven and earth that I will live and die purely and simply in Thy holy love, and that if to love Thee thus I must endure persecution and suffering I am completely satisfied, and I will ever say with Saint Paul: Nothing "will be able to separate us from the love of God." 0 Jesus, supreme master of all hearts, I love Thee, I adore Thee, I praise Thee, I thank Thee, because I am now all Thine own. Rule over me, and transform my soul into the likeness of Thyself, so that it may bless and glorify Thee forever in the abode of the saints.
--Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

OFFERING
My Lord, I offer Thee myself in turn as a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Thou hast died for me, and I in turn make myself over to Thee. I am not my own. Thou hast bought me; I will by my own act and deed complete the purchase. My wish is to be separated from everything of this world; to cleanse myself simply from sin; to put away from me even what is innocent, if used for its own sake, and not for Thine. I put away reputation and honor, and influence, and power, for my praise and strength shall be in Thee. Enable me to carry out what I profess. Amen. --Cardinal Newman

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Litany of the Most Blessed Sacrament

Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy, Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us, Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us, Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

O Living Bread, Who from Heaven descended, have mercy on us.
Hidden God and Savior, have mercy on us.
Grain of the elect, have mercy on us.
Vine sprouting forth virgins, have mercy on us.
Wholesome Bread and delicacy of kings, have mercy on us.
Perpetual sacrifice, have mercy on us.
Clean oblation, have mercy on us.
Lamb without spot, have mercy on us.
Most pure feast, have mercy on us.
Food of Angels, have mercy on us.
Hidden manna, have mercy on us.
Memorial of God's wonders, have mercy on us.
Supersubstantial Bread, have mercy on us.
Word made flesh, dwelling in us, have mercy on us.
Holy Victim, have mercy on us.

O Cup of blessing, have mercy on us.
O Mystery of faith, have mercy on us.
O Most high and venerable Sacrament, have mercy on us.
O Most holy of all sacrifices, have mercy on us.
O True propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead, have mercy on us.
O Heavenly antidote, by which we are preserved from sin, have mercy on us.
O stupendous miracle above all others, have mercy on us.
O most holy Commemoration of the Passison of Christ, have mercy on us.
O Gift transcending all abundance, have mercy on us.
O extraordinary memorial of Divine love, have mercy on us.
O affluence of Divine largess, have mercy on us.
O most holy and august mystery, have mercy on us.

Medicine of immortality, have mercy on us.
Awesome and life-giving Sacrament, have mercy on us.
Unbloody Sacrifice, have mercy on us.
Food and guest, have mercy on us.
Sweetest banquet at which the Angels serve, have mercy on us.
Bond of love, have mercy on us.
Offering and oblation, have mercy on us.
Spiritual sweetness tasted in its own foutain, have mercy on us.
Refreshment of holy souls, have mercy on us.
Viaticum of those dying in the Lord, have mercy on us.
Pledge of future glory, have mercy on us.

Be merciful, spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord.

From the unworthy reception of Thy Body and Blood, deliver us, O Lord.
From passions of the flesh, deliver us, O Lord.
From the concupiscence of the eyes, deliver us, O Lord.
From pride, deliver us, O Lord.
From every occasion of sin, deliver us, O Lord.
Through that desire, with which Thou desiredst to eat the Passover with Thy disciples, deliver us, O Lord.
Through that profound humility with which Thou didst wash Thy disciples' feet, deliver us, O Lord.
Through that most ardent love, with which Thou instituted this Divine Sacrament,
deliver us, O Lord.
Through the most precious Blood, which Thou hast left for us upon the altar, deliver us, O Lord.
Through those Five Wounds of Thy most holy Body, which was given up for us, deliver us, O Lord.

Sinners we are, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst graciously preserve and augment the faith, reverence, and devotion in us towards this admirable Sacrament, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst graciously lead us through the true confession of we beseech Thee, hear us.
our sins to a frequent reception of the Eucharist, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst graciously free us from every heresy, falsehood, and blindness of the heart, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst graciously impart to us the Heavenly and precious fruits of this most Holy Sacrament, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst graciously protect and strengthen us in our hour of death with this Heavenly Viaticum, we beseech Thee, hear us.

O Son of God, we beseech Thee, hear us.
Lamb of God, Who taketh away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who taketh away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who taketh away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord.
Christ, hear us, Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us, Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy, Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.
Our Father . . .
Hail Mary . . .

V. Thou didst furnish them with Bread from Heaven, Alleluia.
R. Having in it every delight.

Let us pray.

O God, Who under a marvelous Sacrament has left us a memorial of Thy Passion; grant us; we beseech Thee; so to venerate the sacred mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, that we may ever perceive within us the fruit of Thy Redemption. Thou, Who livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.

From the Manuale Sacerdotum, P. Josephus Schneider, S. J., 1867

Essays for Lent: The Eucharist
Excerpt from: The Didache (The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Divorced Catholics and the Eucharist
Following The Truth: So, You Just Received Jesus…Now What? (Catholic or Open)
Auxiliary Bishop Says Communion In the Hand is a Novelty [Ecumenical]
How Something We Consider Solidly Traditional was Once Thought Progressive (Catholic)
Transubstantiation: Change We Can Believe In
Diocese limits Communion under both kinds, laments excessive extraordinary ministers
Phoenix Diocese to adopt new norms for Holy Communion [Catholic Caucus]
What Does GIRM 160 for the USA Really Say?
Lift the City - a Catholic Eucharistic flash mob (Catholic Caucus)
Justin Martyr: 1st apology: Sacraments, Eucharist {Catholic/Orthodox caucus}
The Institution of the Eucharist in Scripture [Catholic Caucus]
How the Mass is a sacrifice, and why so many deny this doctrine (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
[Ecumenical] Lent through Eastertide - Divine Mercy Diary Exerpts: Holy Communion and the Eucharist
New book connects the Eucharist with its Jewish roots
THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST (sections 3 only) {Ecumenical Thread}
THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST (sections 1&2 only) {Ecumenical Thread}

The Perfect Sacrifice: When Heaven Comes to Earth [Catholic Caucus]
The Real Presence [Church Fathers on the Holy Eucharist, cont'd ]
Is the Mass a Sacrifice? (Once and for all, Heb 9-10) {Catholic/Orthodox Caucus}
Radio Replies Second Volume - Holy Communion
The Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist {Catholic/Orthodox Caucus}
Radio Replies Second Volume - The Sacrifice of the Mass
Radio Replies Second Volume - Holy Eucharist
Thanksgiving, the Prophets and the Eucharist
Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi. As we Worship, So we Believe, So we Live
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 5th Luminous Mystery: Institution of the Eucharist (Patristic Rosary)
Wounded in the house of them that loved Me
[CATHOLIC / ORTHODOX CAUCUS] Eucharist is Jesus' greatest gift to us, teaches Pope Benedict XVI
[CATHOLIC CAUCUS] What makes Jesus present in the Eucharist: broadening one's view.
Pope's Q--A at End of Priestly Year Pt 4 "We Celebrate,..Meditate..on Eucharist" [Catholic Caucus]
Sacrifice, Transubstantiation, and Real Presence (Pope Benedict XVI) [Catholic Caucus]
Catholic Caucus: Eucharist is the Heart of God
[CATHOLIC CAUCUS]'Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity': The Miracle and Gift of the Most Holy Eucharist
A Secular Eucharist
Paul and the Eucharist
Centered in the Eucharist

Who Can Receive Communion? (Catholic Caucus)
Respect For Christ In The Eucharist – One Priest’s Perspective
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Opportunities of Grace: The Eucharist: The Lord's Supper
THE PRIEST IN THE COMMUNION RITES - Liturgy Prepares for Reception of the Eucharist
Novena with Saint Peter Julian Eymard for Prayer in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament [Prayer]
THE PRIEST IN THE COMMUNION RITES - Liturgy Prepares for Reception of the Eucharist
Boston Cardinal: Church Needs 'Clear' Injunction Denying Pro-Abortion Pols Communion
Benedict XVI calls priests to protect communion between God and man
Eucharist: Holy Sacrifice
Fr. Men: The Eucharist [Cath-Orth caucus]
Catholics in Costa Rica outraged by disrespect toward Eucharist [Catholic Caucus]
The Institution of the Eucharist in Scripture
St Anthony and the Real Presence
The Essentials of the Catholic Faith, Part Two: Channels of Grace: The Eucharist
EWTN - October 29 - 8PM - Fr. Antoine and the Eucharist
The Role of the Bishop of Rome in the Communion of the Church in the First Millennium
Radio Replies First Volume - Holy Eucharist
The Institution of the Eucharist in Scripture
Catholic Caucus: The Spiritual Combat Ch 54. MANNER IN WHICH WE OUGHT TO RECEIVE...BLESSED SACRAMENT
Catholic Caucus: The Spiritual Combat: Ch 53. CONCERNING THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST

A Few Texts From Saint Cyril of Jerusalem on the Eucharist
Catholic Devotional: On Visiting Jesus Christ In the Blessed Sacrament
The Early Christians Believed in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist
Focus on the Real Presence
A Chinese Girl-True Story That Inspired Bishop Fulton Sheen- Eucharist Adoration (Catholic Caucus)
Doubting Thomases(Eucharist); the Pitfalls of Folly(Catholic Caucus)
Rainbow sash-wearers prohibited from receiving [the Eucharist at Cathedral of St. Paul]
The significance of Holy Thursday (institution of the Eucharist and priesthood)
Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament [Catholic Caucus]
The Catechism of St. Thomas Aquinas THE HOLY EUCHARIST
Holy Communion (with a Quiz!)
Beginning Catholic: The Eucharist: In the Presence of the Lord Himself [Ecumenical]
Beginning Catholic: Receiving the Lord in Holy Communion [Ecumenical]
Faithful Invited to Follow Pope, Adore Eucharist [Catholic Caucus]
Christmas and the Eucharist(Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
Eucharist kneeling request sparks controversy [Catholic Caucus]
Eucharist vs. the Word (which is more important in the Catholic Church)
Christ the Miracle Worker in the Eucharist(Catholic Caucus)
Imitating Christ in the Eucharist(Catholic Caucus)
The Eucharist - the Lord's Sacrifice, Banquet and Presence (OPEN)

Pope Calls Eucharist History's Greatest Revolution [OPEN]
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 22: The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion)
A series of reflections from St. Peter Julian Eymard Blessed Sacrament(Catholic Caucus)
Eucharist, Holy Meal
Imitating Christ in the Eucharist
Christmas and the Eucharist
Prayer Before the Blessed Sacrament
This is My Body, This is My Blood
THE HOLY EUCHARIST IS THE WHOLE CHRIST
Gift Of Life, Gift Eternal: The Most Holy Eucharist and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
Area worshipers march to celebrate Holy Eucharist
Grace of the Eucharist is secret to holy priests, says Pope
The Disposition of Priests [Valid Mass, Valid Holy Eucharist?]
The Body of Christ?
Holy Sacrifice, Living Sacrament
Knights of the Eucharist
The Banquet of Corpus Christi - "Why did Jesus give us His Body and Blood?"
The Eucharist: Eternity and Time Together
Restored Order of the Sacraments of Initiation? Confirmation and First Eucharist together? (Vanity)
Reflections of Cardinal Ratzinger on the Eucharist

THE HOLY EUCHARIST: NOURISHMENT TO FINISH OUR COURSE
The Eucharist in Scripture - Part 1 - Old Testament
LITANY OF REPARATION TO OUR LORD IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
POPE GRANTS PLENARY INDULGENCE FOR YEAR OF THE EUCHARIST
New Plenary Indulgence to Mark Year of the Eucharist
Kneeling and Faith in the Eucharist
The Immaculate Conception and the Eucharist, a course in Christian culture in Tashkent
The Year of the Eucharist by Bishop Donald Wuerl
"While We're At It": What can we do to show that the Eucharist is a communal activity?
CATHOLICS AND ... WITNESSED UNUSUAL IMAGES IN BLESSED SACRAMENT
The Discipline of the Eucharist Holy See Releases Redemptionis Sacramentum...
Vatican: Matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist (April 23, 2004)
Devotion to the Holy Eucharist Advances Devotion to Jesus' Person
New rules on the Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday
The Reverence due to the Holy Eucharist
The Holy Face of Jesus Christ as appeared on the Holy Eucharist
The Fourth Cup: The Sacrament of the Eucharist [Holy Thursday] [Passover]
Holy Father stresses Need of Devotion to Holy Eucharist outside of Mass: Pope Paul VI

16 posted on 04/20/2013 10:40:24 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

April 2013

Pope's Intentions

Liturgy, Source of Life. That the public, prayerful celebration of faith may give life to the faithful.

Mission Churches. That mission churches may be signs and instruments of hope and resurrection.

17 posted on 04/20/2013 10:45:16 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Daily Gospel Commentary

Fourth Sunday of Easter - Year C

Commentary of the day
Saint Gregory the Great (c.540-604), Pope, Doctor of the Church
Homilies on the Gospel, no.15[14] (trans. ©Cistercian publications Inc., 1990; cf breviary 4th Sunday of Easter)

"I give them eternal life"

The Lord says: “My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me; I give them eternal life”. A little earlier he said to them: “Anyone who enters by me will be saved; he will go in out, and will find pasture”. (Jn 10,9) He will go in to faith; he will out from faith to vision, from belief to contemplation; will find pasture in eternal refreshment.

The Good Shepherd's sheep will pasture because whoever follows him with a guileless is nourished with a food of eternal freshness. What are the pastures of these sheep but the eternal joys of an ever-green paradise? The pasture of the elect is the countenance of God person. When we see him perfectly our hearts are endlessly satisfied with the food of life...

Let us seek these pastures, dearly beloved! There we may enjoy the celebration of so many citizens. Let the festival of those who rejoice attract us... Let us enkindle our hearts, my friends, let our faith grow warm again for what it believes, let our desire for heavenly things take fire. To love thus is to be already on the way. Let no adversity recall us from the joy of inner festivity: no difficulty on his journey alters the desire of a person wanting to go to some particular place. Let no seductive good fortune lead us astray: he is a foolish traveler who sees pleasant meadows on his journey and forgets where he is going.

18 posted on 04/20/2013 10:47:43 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

Arlington Catholic Herald

GOSPEL COMMENTARY JN 10:27-30

Hear! Hear!

Fr. Paul Scalia

What does it mean to hear? Modern culture understands hearing (as it does most things) in mechanical terms. Something is heard simply when the sound causes a reaction in the listening device. The interaction between the hearer and the thing heard is just a matter of physics. The sound waves hit the receiver that gauges or registers them. Unfortunately, many human conversations fare no better. People in dialogue (or so they think) allow the sounds to register but do not allow the words to make a difference. The words or the information might be acknowledged (“Oh, that’s interesting”), but they are not assimilated.

The ancient Jews had a deeper sense of what it means to hear. For them it meant not merely to take in sounds by way of the ear but to be changed by the truths that one heard. To hear necessarily meant to respond appropriately to the voice of the speaker. Thus the Hebrew language does not have a distinct word for “obey.” There is only the one word — “shema” — for both “hear” and “obey.” In short, to hear means to respond properly — to obey. We are created for the truth in such a way that when we hear it we ought to conform ourselves to it immediately. Even more, we are created for Jesus in such a profound way that we are meant to respond and conform ourselves to Him as the Word of the Father.

“My sheep hear my voice” (Jn 10:27). Our Lord’s words proceed not from the modern but from the Hebrew understanding of “hear.” His sheep do not simply listen to His voice, nod an acknowledgement of it, and then go about their business as before. His sheep obey His word. They conform their lives to what they hear. If we are unwillingly to obey — because of an exaggerated sense of self, an attachment to sin, hardness of heart, etc. — then we cripple our hearing.

And if we get our hearing wrong we will also getting our believing wrong, for “faith comes from what is heard” (Rom 10:17). A hearing problem leads inevitably to a believing problem. The Virgin Mary — the greatest example of faith — is also the greatest example of hearing. Church Fathers would at times say that Mary conceived through the ear. That is, she came to believe by genuine hearing, by obeying the word spoken to her. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word,” she said (Lk 1:38).

And so it is that the world’s crisis of faith (which Pope Benedict hoped to address by the Year of Faith) is really a crisis of hearing. We hear only in the modern, mechanized sense. We might allow the sound of the Gospel to register in our ears, but we do not allow it to resonate in our hearts. We do not want to obey — that is, to change our lives — so we do not hear, however much we might listen.

Hearing is an activity. We must apply ourselves. We find sheep (whom Our Lord praises for their hearing) in quiet places, with no one other than their shepherd around. This indicates that to cultivate the power to hear we must remove ourselves from the world on occasion and remain just with the Shepherd. We will have difficulty hearing Him in the midst of everything else.

“My sheep hear my voice” (Jn 10:27). This is a declarative sentence. Perhaps the demands of it become clearer if we render it as follows: “Those who hear and obey my voice become my sheep.” We cannot hope to be His sheep, therefore, without first the willingness to obey, to be formed by his word, to hear.

Fr. Scalia is Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde’s delegate for clergy.

19 posted on 04/20/2013 11:08:05 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

The Work of God

Year C

- 4th Sunday of Easter

I and the Father are one.

John 10:27-30

27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.
29 What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand.
30 The Father and I are one." (NRSV)

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

4th Sunday of Easter - I and the Father are one.

Everyone who listens to me and believes in me becomes a Son of God. I came to my own people; to those who for many generations were expecting me, the Messiah. But most of them did not recognize me and rejected me.

The Father had promised in the Old Testament to send His Servant to shepherd his sheep. He had also predicted through the prophet Isaiah (7:14) that the virgin would conceive a son whose name would be Immanuel, (God with us). I said to the Father, here I am, I have come to do your will.

I am the Word of God, the word of the Father. He sent me into the world to save those who listen to my voice and follow me.

Isa 55:10-11
10 And as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return without watering the earth, and water it, and make it to spring, and give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be, which shall go forth from my mouth: it shall not return to me empty, but it shall do whatsoever I please, and shall prosper in the things for which I sent it.

I give life to my sheep, I feed them with the heavenly manna, I give them everlasting life through the life I have laid down for them. No one takes them away from me because they are in my hands. My Father has sent me into the world to rescue them from the hands of the evil one. When they are in my hands, they are in the hands of my Father.

When the Father’s word came into the world, He himself came to the world in Me, this is why I always do His will which is to make you holy. No one can save you but God himself; I am your Saviour, the Son of the Living God. I am One with the Father. The Father and I are One. Our Holy Spirit is One with us. We are One. God is One.

This is a mystery too great for many of you to understand. For those who listen to my voice and believe, I happily open to them the gate of Heaven and my joy will be your everlasting joy.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

20 posted on 04/20/2013 11:24:22 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)

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