July 16, 2013

Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

A certain man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,
who conceived and bore a son.
Seeing that he was a goodly child, she hid him for three months.
When she could hide him no longer, she took a papyrus basket,
daubed it with bitumen and pitch,
and putting the child in it,
placed it among the reeds on the river bank.
His sister stationed herself at a distance
to find out what would happen to him.

Pharaoh’s daughter came down to the river to bathe,
while her maids walked along the river bank.
Noticing the basket among the reeds, she sent her handmaid to fetch it.
On opening it, she looked, and lo, there was a baby boy, crying!
She was moved with pity for him and said,
“It is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter,
“Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women
to nurse the child for you?”
“Yes, do so,” she answered.
So the maiden went and called the child’s own mother.
Pharaoh’s daughter said to her,
“Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will repay you.”
The woman therefore took the child and nursed it.
When the child grew, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter,
who adopted him as her son and called him Moses;
for she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

On one occasion, after Moses had grown up,
when he visited his kinsmen and witnessed their forced labor,
he saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his own kinsmen.
Looking about and seeing no one,
he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
The next day he went out again, and now two Hebrews were fighting!
So he asked the culprit,
“Why are you striking your fellow Hebrew?”
But the culprit replied,
“Who has appointed you ruler and judge over us?
Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?”
Then Moses became afraid and thought,
“The affair must certainly be known.”

Pharaoh, too, heard of the affair and sought to put Moses to death.
But Moses fled from him and stayed in the land of Midian.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 69:3, 14, 30-31, 33-34

R. (see 33) Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
I am sunk in the abysmal swamp
where there is no foothold;
I have reached the watery depths;
the flood overwhelms me.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
But I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your saving help, O God, protect me;
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.

Gospel Mt 11:20-24

Jesus began to reproach the towns
where most of his mighty deeds had been done,
since they had not repented.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum:

Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.

For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,
it would have remained until this day.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: July 16, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: May the venerable intercession of the glorious Virgin Mary come to our aid, we pray, O Lord, so that, fortified by her protection, we may reach the mountain which is Christ. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o Granita di Caffe

o Torrone

ACTIVITIES

o ’Tis Said of Our Dear Lady

o Ave Maria Dear

o Beautiful, Glorious

o Celebrating the Feasts of the Blessed Virgin

o Feasts of Mary in the Family

o July 16: Commemoration of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

o Mary Garden

o Our Lady of Mount Carmel

o Salve Regina

o Stella Matutina

o Virgin Blessed, Thou Star the Fairest

PRAYERS

o Novena Prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

o Rite for the Blessing of and Enrolment in the Scapular of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel

o Table Blessing for the Feasts of the Mother of God

o Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

LIBRARY

o Scapular of Carmel, a Treasure For the Church | Pope John Paul II

o The Scapular Devotion | Christian P. Ceroke O. Carm.

o The Scapular Medal | Holy Office

Ordinary Time: July 16th

Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Old Calendar: Commemoration of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel

Sacred Scripture celebrated the beauty of Carmel where the prophet Elijah defended the purity of Israel's faith in the living God. In the twelfth century, hermits withdrew to that mountain and later founded the Carmelite order devoted to the contemplative life under the patronage of Mary, the holy Mother of God.

Devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel is worldwide, and most Catholics are familiar with the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, also known as the Brown Scapular. Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock on July 16, 1251, and gave him the scapular with the following words, which are preserved in a fourteenth century narrative: "This will be for you and for all Carmelites the privilege, that he who dies in this will not suffer eternal fire." The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was instituted for the Carmelites in 1332, and extended to the whole Church by Benedict XIII in 1726.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Today is the principal feast day of the Carmelite Order. Through the efforts of the crusader Berthold, a group of hermits living on Mount Carmel were organized into an Order after the traditional Western type about the year 1150. Oppressed by the Saracens, the monks slowly emigrated to Europe. During the night preceding the sixteenth of July, 1225, the Blessed Virgin is said to have commanded Pope Honorius III to approve the foundation. Since the Carmelites were still under constant harassment, the sixth General of the Order, St. Simon Stock, pleaded with the Blessed Virgin for some special sign of her protection. On July 16, 1251, she designated the scapular as the special mark of her maternal love. That is why the present feast is also known as the feast of the Scapular. The scapular, as part of the habit, is common to many religious Orders, but it is a special feature of the Carmelites. A smaller form of the scapular is given to lay persons in order that they may share in the great graces associated with it. Such a grace is the "Sabbatine privilege." In the so-called Bulla Sabbatina John XXII affirmed that wearers of the scapular are soon freed from the flames of purgatory, at least by the Saturday after death. The confirmation of the Bulla Sabbatina was promulgated by the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, July 4, 1908.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Things to Do:

If you have not already done so, have a priest enroll you in the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or popularly known as the "Brown Scapular" and begin wearing it as a sign of your love for Our Lady. A priest enrolls people in the Brown Scapular only once. The Scapular can then be replaced afterwards by other scapulars or the scapular medal, which has on one side the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and on the other, the image of Mary. The medal needs to be blessed by a priest, but the cloth scapulars do not require a blessing (separate from enrollment).
Wearing the Brown Scapular is not an automatic guarantee of salvation. It is not a magical charm, nor is it an excuse to live in a way contrary to the teachings of the Church. It is a sacramental which has been approved by the Church for over seven centuries and is a sign of one's decision to follow Jesus as did Mary, the perfect model of all the disciples of Christ. In addition to being an introduction into the Family of Carmel, the Brown Scapular is an expression of our belief that we will meet God in eternal life, aided by the intercession and prayer of Mary. While sacramentals prepare us to receive grace if we are in the right disposition, the Church emphasizes that only sacraments can confer sanctifying grace. (see Catechism, no. 1670.)
Periodically the Church reexamines devotions and popular piety to make sure they are "not at odds with the centrality of the Sacred Liturgy. Rather, in promoting the faith of the people, who regard popular piety as a natural religious expression, they predispose the people for the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries" (John Paul II, September 2001). In accordance with Vatican II, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issued the Directory on Popular Piety in 2001 to reevaluate different devotions and popular piety. Though the Brown Scapular is included in the document as a wonderful pious practice, the Directory does not mention the Sabbatine Privilege, which continues to present historical difficulties. The Directory rather emphasizes the beautiful sign of the "filial relationship" with the faithful and Mary:

205. The history of Marian piety also includes "devotion" to various scapulars, the most common of which is devotion to the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Its use is truly universal and, undoubtedly, it is one of those pious practices which the Council described as "recommended by the Magisterium throughout the centuries."

The Scapular of Mount Carmel is a reduced form of the religious habit of the Order of the Friars of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel. Its use is very diffuse and often independent of the life and spirituality of the Carmelite family.

The Scapular is an external sign of the filial relationship established between the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Mount Carmel, and the faithful who entrust themselves totally to her protection, who have recourse to her maternal intercession, who are mindful of the primacy of the spiritual life and the need for prayer.

The Scapular is imposed by a special rite of the Church which describes it as "a reminder that in Baptism we have been clothed in Christ, with the assistance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, solicitous for our conformation to the Word Incarnate, to the praise of the Trinity, we may come to our heavenly home wearing our nuptial garb."

The imposition of the Scapular should be celebrated with "the seriousness of its origins. It should not be improvised. The Scapular should be imposed following a period of preparation during which the faithful are made aware of the nature and ends of the association they are about to join and of the obligations they assume."

Pope John Paul II has worn the scapular for a long time. The Holy Father's talk on the Scapular of Carmel, A Treasure for the Church mentions:

Therefore two truths are evoked by the sign of the Scapular: on the one hand, the constant protection of the Blessed Virgin, not only on life's journey, but also at the moment of passing into the fullness of eternal glory; on the other, the awareness that devotion to her cannot be limited to prayers and tributes in her honor on certain occasions, but must become a "habit", that is, a permanent orientation of one's own Christian conduct, woven of prayer and interior life, through frequent reception of the sacraments and the concrete practice of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. In this way the Scapular becomes a sign of the "covenant" and reciprocal communion between Mary and the faithful: indeed, it concretely translates the gift of his Mother, which Jesus gave on the Cross to John and, through him, to all of us, and the entrustment of the beloved Apostle and of us to her, who became our spiritual Mother.

For the definitive treatment on the brown scapular, read The Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: Catechesis and Ritual.
The Blessed Virgin's scapular should remind us that Christians have an apostolate against current extremes and extravagances in modes of dress. Clothes are a symbol of the person. Like the Christian heart, dress must be chaste and simple, for one judges the interior from the exterior. It should not be necessary to add that special attention be given this matter when preparing for church attendance. Examine yourself on how well you reflect Christian modesty in your dress and if you are a parent, how well you ensure that your children are modestly dressed.
In New York City in East Harlem is one of the oldest festivals in America for Our Lady of Mount Carmel. See Our Lady of Mount Carmel Shrine of East Harlem -- since 1881. Every year in Brooklyn, NY, is held the Festival of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Paulinus of Nola (Festa Del Giglio). It is unique to see a scene that one would expect in Europe unfolding on the street of a major East coast city. You can view a You Tube clip right here. Also look around your area for Italian parishes, maybe one named after Our Lady of Mount Carmel? Many times the parish will host wonderful festivals in her honor.
Watch this You Tube video to learn more about devotion to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
From the Catholic Culture library, the Scapular Devotion, a description of Different Kinds of Scapulars, The Brown Scapular and information on the Scapular Medal.
Learn more about St. Simon Stock and the Brown Scapular.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Exodus 2:1-15

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

“I drew him out of the water.” (Exodus 2:10)

From the day that Pharaoh’s wife drew him out of the water, Moses led a dramatic life. We may remember him for the ten plagues, the ten commandments and the trip across the Red Sea, but God was at work in Moses’ life from the day he was born, training him for the future God had in store for him. This wasn’t your typical formal school training but the training ground of life itself. Born to a Hebrew woman but raised in Pharaoh’s house, Moses was perfectly situated to confront Pharaoh as an equal and lead the Israelites to freedom.

But Moses isn’t the only one who God prepared for extraordinary work. Think of Ambrose, a well-off politician who, when converted, used his debating skills to defend the divinity of Christ and influence a young St. Augustine. Or think of Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. He was an eager soldier always ready for a fight—until he was wounded in battle. As he lay in bed recovering, he found the Lord. After his conversion, he dedicated his life to teaching people how to fight the spiritual battle.

But it’s not just the heroes and heroines of the faith. God has been training you as well! Looking back, can you see how different events in your life have prepared you for the role you are playing right now? Think also of the people in your life. Who has influenced you the most? Who guided you and trained you, whether through their words or their example? Isn’t it possible that God has used all these to prepare you for something extraordinary?

In prayer today, take a piece of paper and write down your different roles across the top. Maybe you are a parent. Maybe you work in a large company. Don’t forget roles like “friend” and “co-worker.” Now, under each role, start to list the experiences or relationships that have prepared you for those roles. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see how he has been at work shaping you. Ask him to show you how he has filled each of these roles with his grace so that you can do extraordinary things—no matter how “ordinary” your life may seem.

“Holy Spirit, open my eyes to your ongoing call and training in my life.”

Psalm 69:3, 14, 30-31, 33-34; Matthew 11:20-24

Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 11
20.	Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein were done the most of his miracles, for that they had not done penance.	Tunc cœpit exprobrare civitatibus, in quibus factæ sunt plurimæ virtutes ejus, quia non egissent pœnitentiam :	τοτε ηρξατο ονειδιζειν τας πολεις εν αις εγενοντο αι πλεισται δυναμεις αυτου οτι ου μετενοησαν
21.	Woe to thee, Corozain, woe to thee, Bethsaida: for if in Tyre and Sidon had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in you, they had long ago done penance in sackcloth and ashes.	Væ tibi Corozain, væ tibi Bethsaida : quia, si in Tyro et Sidone factæ essent virtutes quæ factæ sunt in vobis, olim in cilicio et cinere pœnitentiam egissent.	ουαι σοι χοραζιν ουαι σοι βηθσαιδα οτι ει εν τυρω και σιδωνι εγενοντο αι δυναμεις αι γενομεναι εν υμιν παλαι αν εν σακκω και σποδω μετενοησαν
22.	But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.	Verumtamen dico vobis : Tyro et Sidoni remissius erit in die judicii, quam vobis.	πλην λεγω υμιν τυρω και σιδωνι ανεκτοτερον εσται εν ημερα κρισεως η υμιν
23.	And thou Capharnaum, shalt thou be exalted up to heaven? thou shalt go down even unto hell. For if in Sodom had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in thee, perhaps it had remained unto this day.	Et tu Capharnaum, numquid usque in cælum exaltaberis ? usque in infernum descendes, quia si in Sodomis factæ fuissent virtutes quæ factæ sunt in te, forte mansissent usque in hanc diem.	και συ καπερναουμ η εως του ουρανου υψωθεισα εως αδου καταβιβασθηση οτι ει εν σοδομοις εγενοντο αι δυναμεις αι γενομεναι εν σοι εμειναν αν μεχρι της σημερον
24.	But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.	Verumtamen dico vobis, quia terræ Sodomorum remissius erit in die judicii, quam tibi.	πλην λεγω υμιν οτι γη σοδομων ανεκτοτερον εσται εν ημερα κρισεως η σοι

20. Then he began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
21. Woe to you, Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22. But I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
23. And you, Capernaum, which are exalted to heaven, shall be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in you, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24. But I say to you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of Judgment, than for you.

GLOSS: Thus far He had brought His accusation against the Jews in common; now against certain towns by name in which He had specially preached, and yet they would not be converted; whence it is said, Then began he to upbraid the cities in which most of his mighty works were done, because they had not repented.

JEROME; His upbraiding of the towns of Corozaim, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, is set forth in this chapter, because He therefore upbraided them, because after He had such mighty works and wonders in them they had not done penitence. Whence He adds, Woe for you, Corozaim! Woe for you, Bethsaida!

CHRYS; That you should not say that they were by nature evil, He names Bethsaida, a town from which the Apostles had come; namely, Philip, and two pair of the chief of the Apostles, Peter and Andrew, James and John.

JEROME; In this word. Woe, these towns of Galilee are mourned for by the Savior, that after so many signs and mighty works, they had not done penitence.

RABAN; Corozaim, which is interpreted 'my mystery', and Bethsaida, 'the house of fruits', or, 'the house of hunters,' are towns of Galilee situated on the shore of the sea of Galilee. The Lord therefore mourns for towns which once had the mystery of God, and which ought to have brought forth the fruit of virtues, and into which spiritual hunters had been sent.

JEROME; And to these are preferred Tyre and Sidon, cities given up to idolatry and vices; For if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have long ago done penitence in sackcloth and ashes.

GREG; In sackcloth is the roughness which denotes the pricking of the conscience for sin, ashes denote the dust of the dead; and both are wont to be employed in penitence, that the pricking of the sackcloth may remind us of our sins, and the dust of the ash may cause us to reflect what we have become by judgment.

RABAN; Tyre and Sidon are cities of Phoenicia. Tyre is interpreted 'narrowness', and Sidon 'hunting'; and denote the Gentiles whom the Devil as a hunter drives into the straits of sin but Jesus the Savior sets them free by the Gospel.

JEROME; We ask where it is written that the Lord did wonders in Corozaim and Bethsaida? We read above, And he went about the towns and villages, healing all sicknesses, &c. among the rest, therefore, we may suppose that He wrought signs in Corozaim and Bethsaida.

AUG; It is not then true that His Gospel was not preached in those times and places, in which He knew before that all would be such, as were many in His actual presence, who would not even believe on Him when He raised men from the dead. For the Lord Himself bears witness that they of Tyre and Sidon would have done penitence in great humility, had the wonders of the Divine power been done in them. Moreover, if the dead are judged according to those deeds which they would have done had they lived, then because these would have believed had the Gospel been preached to them with so great miracles, surely they should not be punished at all, and yet in the day of judgment they shall be punished; for it follows, But I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of Judgment, than for you. Those then shall be punished with more, these with less severity.

JEROME; This is because Tyre and Sidon had trodden under foot the law of nature only, but these towns after they had transgressed the natural and the written Law, also made light of those wonders which had been wrought among them.

RABAN; We at this day see the words of the Savior fulfilled; Corozaim and Bethsaida would not believe when the Lord came to them in person; but Tyre and Sidon have afterwards believed on the preaching of the Apostles.

REMIG; Capernaum was the metropolis of Galilee, and a noted town of that province, and therefore the Lord mentions it particularly, saying, And you, Capernaum, shall you indeed be exalted to heaven? You shall go down even to hell.

JEROME; In other copies we find, And you, Capernaum, that are exalted to heaven, shall be brought down to hell; and it may be understood in two different ways. Either, you shall go down to hell because you have proudly resisted my preaching; or, you that has been exalted to heaven by entertaining me, and having my mighty wonders done in you, shall be visited with the heavier punishment, because you would not believe even these.

REMIG; And they have made the sins not of Sodom only and Gomorrah, but of Tyre and Sidon light in comparison, and therefore it follows, For if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would perhaps have remained to this day.

CHRYS; This makes the accusation heavier, for it is a proof of extreme wickedness, that they are worse, not only than any then living, but than the wickedest of all past time.

JEROME; In Capernaum, which is interpreted the most fair town, Jerusalem is condemned, to which it is said by Ezekiel, Sodom is justified by you.

REMIG; The Lord, who knows all things, here uses a word expressing uncertainty - perhaps, to show that freedom of choice is left to men. But I say to you, it shall be easier for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. And be it known, that in speaking of the city or country, the Lord does not chide with the buildings and walls, but with the men that inhabit there, by the figure metonymy, putting the thing containing for the thing contained. The words, It shall be easier in the day of judgment, clearly prove that there are diverse punishments in hell, as there are diverse mansions in the kingdom of heaven.

JEROME; The careful reader will hesitate here; If Tyre and Sidon could have done penitence at the preaching of the Savior, and His miracles, they are not in fault that they believed not; the sin is his who would not preach to bring them to penitence. To this there is a ready answer, that we know not God's judgments, and are ignorant of the sacraments of His peculiar dispensations. It was determined by the Lord not to pass the borders of Judea, that He might not give the Pharisees and Priests a just occasion of persecuting Him, as also He gave commandment to the Apostles, Go not into the way of the Gentiles. Corozaim and Bethsaida are condemned because they would not believe, though Christ Himself was among them - Tyre and Sidon are justified, because they believed His Apostles. You should not inquire into times when you see the salvation of those that believe.

REMIG; We may also answer in another way. There were many in Corozaim and Bethsaida who would believe, and many in Tyre and Sidon who would not believe, and therefore were not worthy of the Gospel. The Lord therefore preached to the dwellers in Corozaim and Bethsaida, that they who were to believe, might be able; and preached not in Tyre and Sidon, lest perhaps they who were not to believe, being made worse by contempt of the Gospel, should be punished more heavily.

AUG; A certain Catholic disputant of some note expounded this place of the Gospel in the following way; That the Lord knew that they of Tyre and Sidon would fall from the faith after they had believed the miracles done among them; and that therefore in mercy He did not His miracles there, because they would have incurred the heavier penalty had they lapsed from the faith after having held it, than if they had never held it at all. Or otherwise; The Lord surely knew His mercies with which He deigns to deliver us. And this is the predestination of the saints, namely, the foreknowledge and making ready the mercies of God, by which they are most certainly saved, whosoever are saved. The rest are left to the just judgment of God in the general body of the condemned, where they of Tyre and Sidon are left, who might have believed had they seen Christ's many miracles; but since it was not given them that they should believe therefore that through which they might have believed was also withheld. From which it appears, that there are certain who have in their dispositions by nature a divine gift of understanding by which they would be moved to faith, if they should either hear words or see signs adapted to their minds. But if they be not by the high sentence of God set apart from the mass of perdition through the predestination of grace, then neither words nor works are set before them by God, which yet, could they have seen or heard them, would have stirred them to believe. In this general mass of perdition are the Jews also left, who could not believe so great and manifest wonders wrought before their eyes. And the cause wherefore they could not believe, the Gospel has not hidden, speaking thus; though he did so great miracles before them, yet could they not believe, as Esaias said, I have blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart. Not in this way then were the eyes of they of Tyre and Sidon blinded, or their heart hardened, for they would have believed had they seen such wonders as these saw. But it profited those not that they could have believed, for that they were not predestined; neither would it have been any hindrance to these that they had not power to believe, had they been so predestined that God should have enlightened their blindness, and taken away the heart of stone from within them.

ID; Luke also gives this as spoken in continuation of some other of the Lord's discourses; from which it appears that he has rather followed the actual order of events; Matthew to have followed his recollection. Or the words of Matthew, Then he began to upbraid the towns, must be taken, as some think, as expressing some particular time by the word then, but not referring generally to that time in which the many other things here told were done and said. Whoever, therefore, thinks thus must suppose that this was spoken twice. And when we find in the same Evangelist some things spoken by the Lord at two different times - like that in Luke concerning the not taking a scrip for their journey, - what wonder is it if any thing else, which was twice spoken, is found once severally in two several Gospels in the actual connection in which it was spoken, which connection is different because they are two different occasions on which it is related to have been spoken?

Catena Aurea Matthew 11

Regnum Christi

Harsh or Rash Judgment?

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Father Shawn Aaron, LC

Matthew 11: 20-24

Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld. For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

Introductory Prayer: God our Father, you are my shelter against the burning heat of the day and the storms of life. I know and I believe that I can count on your help when I stumble, that you will catch me when I fall and guide my steps firmly in faith toward the promise of eternal life.

Petition: Jesus, help me to seek you with a sincere heart.

1. Blessings and Responsibility: Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more (cf. Luke 12:48). With every blessing comes a degree of responsibility. The mighty deeds worked in these towns were not seen by everyone in Israel, let alone the world. Therefore, those who do see them have a greater responsibility than those who do not. Jesus reproaches them so as to awaken them from their stupor. Since the miracles have not moved them to a deeper faith, then perhaps the reminder that they will one day be answerable to God might. Do I need a similar fear of punishment to drive me from my sins, or am I more focused on pleasing God in the details of my life?

2. The Goal is Repentance: The goal of all of Jesus´ signs is to bring about a change of heart. Even in the Old Testament, the signs and wonders worked by Yahweh were intended to elicit a response of faith and trust from Israel. The danger for Israel, as for Jesus´ listeners and for us, is to become accustomed to these signs and to demand more signs, thus losing sight of their purpose – a redirection of our life from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness. Like Herod, we want to be dazzled by Jesus´ miracles, but we do not want to change our lives. Jesus never works a miracle in order to impress, but only to convert a heart back to God or to bring it into deeper union with God.

3. Reward or Punishment: We can learn a great deal from this strong phrase: Firstly, that we will be judged for our actions and our omissions; secondly, that judgment from God has varying degrees. Since God sees and knows perfectly, the judgment will be objective; those who knew less will be judged less strictly. In other words, Sodom, Tyre and Sidon will indeed be judged, but according to natural law and not according to Christian faith, which they did not have access to at the time. Finally, but not exhaustively, we can deduce that there will be different gradations in heaven and hell according to how well our actions corresponded to what we knew to be true and good. This knowledge should stimulate us to be more generous with God and more centered on things that are above. Our Lord will handsomely reward our smallest good deed.

Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, open my eyes to the constant workings of your grace in my life. Never allow me to become complacent or to undervalue the tremendous gift of faith in my life. Thank you for reminding me of the importance of my daily decisions. Mother Most Pure, make my heart only for Jesus.

Resolution: Today I will read nos. 1783-1785 from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Brown Scapular

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and the Brown Scapular

by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur on July 16, 2013 ·

July 16^th is the feast day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. This is in remembrance of the day in 1251 when Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock, a monastic who was living in England. She appeared with the Brown Scapular in hand and uttered these words: “Take, beloved son this scapular of thy order as a badge of my confraternity and for thee and all Carmelites a special sign of grace; whoever dies in this garment, will not suffer everlasting fire. It is the sign of salvation, a safeguard in dangers, a pledge of peace and of the covenant.”

A “scapular” was originally a type of clothing worn by monks when working. It fit over the shoulders and covered the front and back. The Carmelites were one such group that wore this vestment. Over time, and in light of the apparition of Mary, the scapular became a sign of trust in Mary as well as commitment to Christ. During the middle ages, groups of lay people began to become affiliated with the monastic orders. The orders in turn wanted to give these lay people an outward sign of that affiliation. For the Carmelites, a smaller version of the scapular was developed and worn.

There is much misunderstanding that surrounds the scapular, both in and out of Catholic circles. Some view it as superstitious. Others see it as a good luck charm — if I wear my scapular, I am guaranteed salvation regardless of how I live my life. This is not the case at all. EWTN.com emphasizes that the scapular “must not be understood superstitiously or magically, but in light of Catholic teaching that perseverance in faith, hope and love are required for salvation. The scapular is a powerful reminder of this Christian obligation and of Mary’s promise to help those consecrated to her obtain the grace of final perseverance.”

According to Carmelnet.org, the scapular represents the following spiritual meanings:

It stands for a commitment to follow Jesus, like Mary, the perfect model of all the disciples of Christ. This commitment finds its origin in baptism by which we become children of God.
It leads us into the community of Carmel, a community of religious men and women, which has existed in the Church for over eight centuries.
It reminds us of the example of the saints of Carmel, with whom we establish a close bond as brothers and sisters to one another.
It is an expression of our belief that we will meet God in eternal life, aided by the intercession and prayers of Mary.

Investment with the scapular requires a priest or deacon to place a blessed scapular over a person’s head while reciting a prayer to Mary such as the Hail Mary, Hail Holy Queen, or Memorare. Investment must be done with a cloth scapular, although after that time, the wearer may choose to wear a blessed metal scapular instead.

Prayer to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

O Most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein You are my Mother.

O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech You from the bottom of my heart to succor me in this necessity. There are none that can withstand Your power.

O show me herein You are my Mother. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee. (repeat 3 times)

Sweet Mother, I place this cause in Your hands. (repeat 3 times)

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and the Brown Scapular

by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur on July 16, 2013 ·

According to Carmelnet.org, the scapular represents the following spiritual meanings:

It stands for a commitment to follow Jesus, like Mary, the perfect model of all the disciples of Christ. This commitment finds its origin in baptism by which we become children of God.
It leads us into the community of Carmel, a community of religious men and women, which has existed in the Church for over eight centuries.
It reminds us of the example of the saints of Carmel, with whom we establish a close bond as brothers and sisters to one another.
It is an expression of our belief that we will meet God in eternal life, aided by the intercession and prayers of Mary.

Prayer to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech You from the bottom of my heart to succor me in this necessity. There are none that can withstand Your power.

O show me herein You are my Mother. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee. (repeat 3 times)

Sweet Mother, I place this cause in Your hands. (repeat 3 times)

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 29, Issue 4

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Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Exodus 2:1-15
View Readings

Psalm 69:3, 14, 30-31, 33-34

Matthew 11:20-24
Similar Reflections

USELESS CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE?

"Now a certain man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, who conceived and bore a son. Seeing that he was a goodly child, she hid him for three months." —Exodus 2:1-2

Moses' mother disobeyed the law. She refused to throw her baby boy into the river to be drowned, as prescribed by Pharaoh's decree (Ex 1:22). This act of civil disobedience seemed totally useless. She hid the baby for three months and then put him in a basket to float on the water rather than directly throw him into the water (Ex 2:2-3). The baby Moses was miraculously saved. Eighty years later, the Lord used Moses to set the entire Israelite nation free from slavery. The Lord used the seemingly useless civil disobedience of Moses' mother, which was actually divine obedience, in an amazing way.

The Lord is calling you to do something that seems useless. If you do the Lord's will, you will seem to be only delaying the inevitable. Nevertheless, you are being called to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). You will feel that you have "toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent" your strength (Is 49:4). However, the Lord is calling you to obey Him not because you understand His command, but because you have accepted Jesus as Lord and have become His disciple.

In the end, doing seemingly useless things in God's will is usually the most useful of all. Even when they aren't, we should still do them because of love for God. The Lord is not primarily calling us to be successful but to be faithful. We should ask others to help us discern God's will and then do it.

Prayer: Father, may I not lean on my own understanding (Prv 3:5).

Promise: "See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God, may your hearts be merry! For the Lord hears the poor." —Ps 69:33-34

Praise: According to tradition, the Carmelite orders are all based on a crusader's vision of Elijah on Mount Carmel. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

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Meditation: Exodus 2:1-15

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Til' Death Do Us Part

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and the Brown Scapular

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and the Brown Scapular

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

One Bread, One Body

USELESS CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE?