Posted on 03/25/2014 9:13:05 PM PDT by Salvation
March 26, 2014
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
Reading 1 Dt 4:1, 5-9
Moses spoke to the people and said:
“Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees
which I am teaching you to observe,
that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land
which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decrees
as the LORD, my God, has commanded me,
that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy.
Observe them carefully,
for thus will you give evidence
of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,
who will hear of all these statutes and say,
‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’
For what great nation is there
that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us
whenever we call upon him?
Or what great nation has statutes and decrees
that are as just as this whole law
which I am setting before you today?
“However, take care and be earnestly on your guard
not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen,
nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live,
but teach them to your children and to your children’s children.”
Responsorial Psalm Ps 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20
R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
He spreads snow like wool;
frost he strews like ashes.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Gospel Mt 5:17-19
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
My pleasure. Yesterday was a good day to say it since it is about the Annunciation.
Mary said “YES,” didn’t she?
Saint Margaret Clitheroe
In the north of England, a shrine in York welcomes pilgrims who want to honor the memory of Saint Margaret Clitheroe. “The Pearl of York”, born Margaret Middleton, was the daughter of a candlemaker who was also Sheriff of York. She was not raised a Catholic but became one shortly after her marriage to John Clitheroe, a wealthy butcher. He was not a Catholic, but had a brother who was a priest.
Margaret and John were a devoted couple. In addition to raising their children, Margaret began instructing a number of others in the Faith, and providing facilities for priests, including her brother-in-law, to say Mass. In York, a little house in The Shambles, a butcher’s shop over which the Clitheroe family lived, now honors the memory of all of this.
Eventually, Margaret’s work was discovered and she was arrested. Rather than have her children forced to give evidence against her, or lie in her defense, she chose not to plead before the court, and was sentenced to be pressed to death as a punishment for this. It was a slow and cruel death as weights were loaded on to a board, which crushed her down.
Her courage and faith drew admiration from many, and significance was seen in the fact that the date of her death was Good Friday. Her husband was devastated by her death: “Let them take all I have and save only her, she is the best wife in all England, and the best Catholic”. Their daughter became a nun and both sons became priests. -
Feast Day: March 26
Born: 1556 as Margaret Middleton at York, England
Died: 25 March 1586 at York, England
Canonized: 25 October 1970 by Pope Paul VI
Major Shrine: The Shambles, York
Patron of: businesswomen, converts, martyrs
St. Ludger
Feast Day: March 26
Born: (around) 743 :: Died: 809
St. Ludger was born at Zuilen, Friesland (modern Nederlands) in northern Europe. His parents Thiadgrim and Liafburg were rich Frisian nobles and his brothers Gerburgis and Hildegrin also became saints.
When he was a young boy, he heard St. Boniface preach and his words touched Ludger's heart. Ludger studied hard for many years in England and became a priest.
He then returned to the Netherlands as a missionary and began to travel far and wide preaching the Good News. He was very happy to share all that he had learned about God with everyone who listened to him. Pagans (people who didn't believe in God) were converted and Christians began to live much better lives. St. Ludger built many churches and monasteries.
Then suddenly barbarians called Saxons attacked his land and drove the priests out. It seemed as though all St. Ludger's work would be lost. But he would not give up. He first found a safe place for his disciples. Then he went to Rome to ask the Holy Father, Pope Adrian I, what he should do.
For over three years, Ludger lived in the Benedictine monastery as a good, holy monk. But he did not forget his people at home. Then King Charlemagne requested him to return to his country and Ludger returned and continued his work. He worked very hard to bring the good news of Jesus to people and many of the pagan Saxons became Christians.
When he was made a bishop, Ludger gave an even better example by his great kindness and piety. Once, jealous men spoke against him to King Charlemagne saying that he was spending more money on charity than on church decoration. The king ordered him to come to court to defend himself. Ludger went obediently to the castle.
The next day, when the king sent for him, Ludger said he would come as soon as he had finished his prayers. This made the king angry. But St. Ludger explained that although he had great respect for the king, he knew that God came first. "Your Majesty will not be angry with me," he said, "for you yourself have told me always to put God first."
The king could not find fault with such a wise answer and loved and admired the holy Bishop very much. No matter how busy he was, Ludger never gave up his time of prayer or meditation.
St. Ludger died after celebrating two Masses on Passion Sunday in 809. He performed his duties in the service of God even on the day he died.
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Can bishops act and teach against the Pope, or the Pope against the bishops?
Bishops cannot act and teach against the Pope, but only with him. In contrast, the Pope can make decisions in clearly defined cases even without the approval of the bishops.
Of course the Pope in all his decisions is bound by the Church's faith. There is something like a general sense of the faith in the Church, a fundamental conviction in matters of faith that is brought about by the Holy Spirit and present throughout the Church, the Church's "common sense", so to speak, which recognizes "what has always and everywhere been believed by all" (Vincent of Lerins).
Is the Pope really infallible?
Yes. But the Pope speaks infallibly only when he defines a dogma in a solemn ecclesiastical act ("ex cathedra"), in other words, makes an authoritative decision in doctrinal questions of faith and morals. Magisterial decisions of the college of bishops in communion with the Pope also possess an infallible character, for example, decisions of an ecumenical council.
The infallibility of the Pope has nothing to do with his moral integrity or his intelligence. What is infallible is actually the Church, for Jesus promised her the Holy Spirit, who keeps her in the truth and leads her ever deeper into it. When a truth of the faith that has been taken for granted is suddenly denied or misinterpreted, the Church must have one final voice that authoritatively says what is true and what is false. This is the voice of the Pope. As the successor of Peter and the first among the bishops, he has the authority to formulate the disputed truth according to the Church's Tradition of faith in such a way that it is presented to the faithful for all times as something "to be believed with certainty". We say then that the Pope defines a dogma. Therefore such a dogma can never contain something substantially "new". Very rarely is a dogma defined. The last time was in 1950. (YOUCAT questions 142-143)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (883-892) and other references here.
Part 1: The Profession of Faith (26 - 1065)
Section 2: The Profession of the Christian Faith (185 - 1065)
Chapter 3: I Believe in the Holy Spirit (683 - 1065)
Article 9: "I believe in the Holy Catholic Church" (748 - 975)
Paragraph 4: Christ's Faithful Hierarchy, Laity, Consecrated Life (871 - 945)
I. THE HIERARCHICAL CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH ⇡
The episcopal college and its head, the Pope ⇡
When Christ instituted the Twelve, "he constituted [them] in the form of a college or permanent assembly, at the head of which he placed Peter, chosen from among them."398 Just as "by the Lord's institution, St. Peter and the rest of the apostles constitute a single apostolic college, so in like fashion the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, and the bishops, the successors of the apostles, are related with and united to one another."399
398.
LG 19; cf. Lk 6:13; Jn 21:15-17.
399.
LG 22; cf. CIC, can. 330.
The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock.400 "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head."401 This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope.
400.
Cf. Mt 16:18-19; Jn 21:15-17.
401.
LG 22 § 2.
The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, "is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful."402 "For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered."403
402.
LG 23.
403.
LG 22; cf. CD 2,9.
"The college or body of bishops has no authority unless united with the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, as its head." As such, this college has "supreme and full authority over the universal Church; but this power cannot be exercised without the agreement of the Roman Pontiff."404
404.
LG 22; cf. CIC, can 336.
"The college of bishops exercises power over the universal Church in a solemn manner in an ecumenical council."405 But "there never is an ecumenical council which is not confirmed or at least recognized as such by Peter's successor."406
405.
CIC, can. 337 § 1.
406.
LG 22.
"This college, in so far as it is composed of many members, is the expression of the variety and universality of the People of God; and of the unity of the flock of Christ, in so far as it is assembled under one head."407
407.
LG 22.
"The individual bishops are the visible source and foundation of unity in their own particular Churches."408 As such, they "exercise their pastoral office over the portion of the People of God assigned to them,"409 assisted by priests and deacons. But, as a member of the episcopal college, each bishop shares in the concern for all the Churches.410 The bishops exercise this care first "by ruling well their own Churches as portions of the universal Church," and so contributing "to the welfare of the whole Mystical Body, which, from another point of view, is a corporate body of Churches."411 They extend it especially to the poor,412 to those persecuted for the faith, as well as to missionaries who are working throughout the world.
408.
LG 23.
409.
LG 23.
410.
Cf. CD 3.
411.
LG 23.
412.
Cf. Gal 2:10.
Neighboring particular Churches who share the same culture form ecclesiastical provinces or larger groupings called patriarchates or regions.413 The bishops of these groupings can meet in synods or provincial councils. "In a like fashion, the episcopal conferences at the present time are in a position to contribute in many and fruitful ways to the concrete realization of the collegiate spirit."414
413.
Cf. Apostolic Constitutions 34.
414.
LG 23 § 3.
* The teaching office ⇡
Bishops, with priests as co-workers, have as their first task "to preach the Gospel of God to all men," in keeping with the Lord's command.415 They are "heralds of faith, who draw new disciples to Christ; they are authentic teachers" of the apostolic faith "endowed with the authority of Christ."416
415.
PO 4; cf. Mk 16:15.
416.
LG 25.
In order to preserve the Church in the purity of the faith handed on by the apostles, Christ who is the Truth willed to confer on her a share in his own infallibility. By a "supernatural sense of faith" the People of God, under the guidance of the Church's living Magisterium, "unfailingly adheres to this faith."417
417.
LG 12; cf. DV 10.
The mission of the Magisterium is linked to the definitive nature of the covenant established by God with his people in Christ. It is this Magisterium's task to preserve God's people from deviations and defections and to guarantee them the objective possibility of professing the true faith without error. Thus, the pastoral duty of the Magisterium is aimed at seeing to it that the People of God abides in the truth that liberates. To fulfill this service, Christ endowed the Church's shepherds with the charism of infallibility in matters of faith and morals. The exercise of this charism takes several forms:
"The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful who confirms his brethren in the faith he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals. ... The infallibility promised to the Church is also present in the body of bishops when, together with Peter's successor, they exercise the supreme Magisterium," above all in an Ecumenical Council.418 When the Church through its supreme Magisterium proposes a doctrine "for belief as being divinely revealed,"419 and as the teaching of Christ, the definitions "must be adhered to with the obedience of faith."420 This infallibility extends as far as the deposit of divine Revelation itself.421
418.
LG 25; cf. Vatican Council I:DS 3074.
419.
DV 10 § 2.
420.
LG 25 § 2.
421.
Cf. LG 25.
Divine assistance is also given to the successors of the apostles, teaching in communion with the successor of Peter, and, in a particular way, to the bishop of Rome, pastor of the whole Church, when, without arriving at an infallible definition and without pronouncing in a "definitive manner," they propose in the exercise of the ordinary Magisterium a teaching that leads to better understanding of Revelation in matters of faith and morals. To this ordinary teaching the faithful "are to adhere to it with religious assent"422 which, though distinct from the assent of faith, is nonetheless an extension of it.
422.
LG 25.
Wednesday, March 26
Liturgical Color: Green
St. Margaret Clitherow was pressed to death
for sheltering priests on this day in 1586.
She became a Catholic because she saw the
many priests and lay people who suffered
for the defense of the faith in England.
Matthew | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
Matthew 5 |
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17. | Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. | Nolite putare quoniam veni solvere legem, aut prophetas : non veni solvere, sed adimplere. | μη νομισητε οτι ηλθον καταλυσαι τον νομον η τους προφητας ουκ ηλθον καταλυσαι αλλα πληρωσαι |
18. | For amen I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall not pass of the law, till all be fulfilled. | Amen quippe dico vobis, donec transeat cælum et terra, jota unum aut unus apex non præteribit a lege, donec omnia fiant. | αμην γαρ λεγω υμιν εως αν παρελθη ο ουρανος και η γη ιωτα εν η μια κεραια ου μη παρελθη απο του νομου εως αν παντα γενηται |
19. | He therefore that shall break one of these least commandments, and shall so teach men, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But he that shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. | Qui ergo solverit unum de mandatis istis minimis, et docuerit sic homines, minimus vocabitur in regno cælorum : qui autem fecerit et docuerit, hic magnus vocabitur in regno cælorum. | ος εαν ουν λυση μιαν των εντολων τουτων των ελαχιστων και διδαξη ουτως τους ανθρωπους ελαχιστος κληθησεται εν τη βασιλεια των ουρανων ος δ αν ποιηση και διδαξη ουτος μεγας κληθησεται εν τη βασιλεια των ουρανων |
Daily Readings for:March 26, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)
Collect: Grant, we pray, O Lord, that, schooled through Lenten observance and nourished by your word, through holy restraint we may be devoted to you with all our heart and be ever united in prayer. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
RECIPES
o New Orleans Shrimp and Spaghetti
ACTIVITIES
PRAYERS
o Prayer for the Third Week of Lent
· Lent: March 26th
· Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
"If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:20)." The need to make reparation is a vital, inescapable urge of a free person. His very nature cries out for order and peace. His reason tells him that where an order has been violated, the order must be repaired; and the higher the order, the greater must be the reparation. To be free at all, is to accept the responsibility for atonement. Sin is a violation of God's order. Sin demands reparation — the reparation of personal penance, personal prayer, personal charity to all. Part of our atonement to God is made by serving our fellow men. — Daily Missal of the Mystical Body
Meditation
The story of the Prodigal Son is repeated again today. It is the history of the Church; it is the history of our own desertion. In this Gospel we are given an urgent call to repentance and conversion. "Father, I have sinned." Penance alone can save us. Our Father welcomes us with mercy. The sin and its eternal punishment are forgiven; the good works which we did before sin and the merits which we lost through sin are revived. The Father receives us again as His children, and celebrates a joyful banquet with us at Holy Communion.
In the story of each human life, God's mercy stands on one side and the unfaithfulness of man on the other. Will God have to cast us off as He did the people of Israel? Have we not fully deserved it? Sometimes it appears that God wishes to allow our faithless generation to go its own way. If He does, it will merit a well deserved punishment.
What can save us from rejection? Only penance, self-examination, and conversion. "Be converted to Me with all your heart, in fasting and in weeping and in mourning" (Joel 2:12).
Excerpted from The Light of the World by Benedict Baur, O.S.B.
Things to Do:
The Station, at Rome, is in the church of St. Sisto Vecchio. It was built in the 4th century, and was one of the first parish churches in Rome and was known as the Titulus Crescentianae. Tradition claims that it was founded by Pope Anastasius I.
3rd Week of Lent
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17)
The Jews have recognized the Torah—the “Law,” or “instruction,” contained in the first five books of the Bible—as nothing less than the very revelation of God. It revealed his intimate thoughts about himself and the sacred way of life he was offering to his people. In centuries past, when the question was asked, “What is God doing in heaven?” the rabbis routinely answered, “Reading Torah!”
How did Jesus view the Torah? He told his followers that he was sent from the Father to fulfill the Law, to bring it to fruition. That is why his Sermon on the Mount focuses on the “heart,” or “inner intention,” behind the ancient commandments. For example, Jesus explained that it’s not enough to avoid doing physical harm to one’s neighbor. If we are to love from the heart, we must learn to live in peace with our neighbor as well. Again, it’s not enough to avoid stealing and committing adultery. We need to do away with the desire to possess what rightfully belongs to someone else.
Even as he raised the requirements of God’s commands, Jesus didn’t paint a picture of God as a stern judge eager to punish our every sin. God loves us, and he invites us to embrace his love. He wants to change us by the power of his Spirit so that we can love what he loves and so that we can turn away from what is sinful.
God’s love is a consuming fire. It burns away our evil desires and fills us with a longing to please him and to lay down our lives in humble service. St. Augustine once said, “Fulfill the commandments out of love. Could anyone refuse to love our God, so abounding in mercy, so just in all his ways? Could anyone deny love to him who first loved us despite all our injustice and all our pride?” Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to purify our thoughts and fill our hearts with God’s love. Then we will begin to desire only what is pleasing to God.
“Thank you, Lord, for giving me your Holy Spirit. Fill my heart with your surpassing love, and make me holy as you are holy.”
Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9; Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20
Daily Marriage Tip for March 26, 2014:
Are you, or someone you know, in a troubled marriage? You dont have to live with the pain; there are people to help you work toward a better marriage. Many couples have worked their way back to satisfying and stronger marriages, but it is work. Check out The Third Option or Retrouvaille for starters.
To Keep or To Abolish… | ||
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Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
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Matthew 5:17-19 Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Introductory Prayer: Lord, as I journey through Lent I have a great desire to be close to you. I know that I am your creature and that I owe you all glory and homage. I want to glorify you by following your teaching. I need you to help me see clearly the truth of your teaching and to love you in return. Here I am Lord, hungry for you alone. I know that you will not turn me away empty-handed. Petition: Lord, teach me what it means to fulfill the law. 1. The Spirit Fulfills the Mere Letter: We can speak of fulfilling the law in two ways: by doing everything that is asked or by completing that which is missing. Jesus completes the law of the Old Testament with the new law of love – to love one another as he has loved us. Jesus fulfills the law not by simply fulfilling each of the many precepts, but by showing where all of the precepts have their end: in loving God above all things. When we obey the law of love we are fulfilling all of the laws – we are bringing them to their natural end. 2. The All-Encompassing New Law: The law of love reaches to the ends of the earth. There is no created being in the universe that is outside the law of love that Jesus has come to teach us. There is no being, not even the smallest, that escapes the demand of this law. When Jesus uses the metaphor, “the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter,” he is showing us the completeness of this law. Love and its demands reach to the farthest ends of the universe, to the smallest created being, and to the end of time. Am I convinced in my heart and in my actions that the law of love asks me to love all people – not just my family, friends and those who rub me the right way? 3. Seeking Perfection: The commandments of the old law as exemplified in the Ten Commandments (e.g. Thou shall not kill; Thou shall not commit adultery; etc.) are grave transgressions but easy to define, referring as they do to external actions. Christ’s commandments (e.g. to not show anger; to not lust in the heart; to forgive our enemies; etc.) have more subtle expressions, and because of this often times they are more difficult to obey. Living these commandments with the proper motivation and a considerate, dedicated attitude is what makes a person great. Having love as the motivation of all of our actions not only helps us make it to heaven, but also will win us a greater share in God’s happiness and glory there. Conversation with Christ: Thank you, Lord, for this time of prayer. Do not let me be content simply to do the minimum that my faith asks of me. Do not let me be content simply with avoiding grave sin. Help me to live the fullness of the law of charity. I want this Lent to be a time of growth in love. |
March 26, 2014
Sometimes we consider the Law as something that imposes on us, that limits us. Thus the Law becomes something constricting and undesirable. But Moses tells us in today’s first reading that if we observe the Law that God had enjoined us to follow, we are to have life and take possession of the land. Then the Law does not put a heavy burden on our shoulders. On the contrary, it frees us, for it teaches us how to have life. And what is this land that we are to possess? This land is the kingdom of God; and we are in the kingdom if we possess Christ.
Even before Christ came as man, the Law had the purpose of carrying out the divine plan for humanity. And then Christ came – to complete the Law, bringing it to perfection. It is basically still the same Law but brought to a higher realm. We will understand this with greater clarity when we read the rest of this chapter of Matthew, which is part of the Sermon on the Mount. For instance, Jesus gives us the same Law of love but introduces to us the love for the enemy. Aside from this, he imparts to us the Law with the accompanying grace to fulfill it. Therefore, let us not be afraid if Christ gives us the Law, which, seemingly, is impossible to fulfill for he grants us his Spirit. And if we possess his Spirit, the law can be accomplished in our lives.
We Christians are blessed to be given the new Law by Christ. As Ps 147 says, “He reveals his word to Jacob, his statutes and rulings to Israel.” He did not reveal them to others but to us, the new Israel, his chosen ones. When we discover the sweetness of the Law and consider it a delight, then we will understand why we are blessed to possess it. Many times, however, it still seems like a burden to us, something too demanding considering our weakness.
Let us not be disheartened whenever we fail to keep the law, for as St. Paul says in the letter to the Romans, “However great the number of sins committed, grace was even greater.” We can count on Christ’s infinite mercy which is accompanied by his grace. That is why, for Christ, the Law is not one of moralizing but of giving freedom.
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The right to life is the foundation of every other human right. If that right is not inviolate, then no right can be guaranteed. Most Reverend Charles Chaput, Archbishop of Philadelphia
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