He is Risen! Truly Risen!
A blessed Eastertide to all!
Posted on 05/07/2014 9:23:29 PM PDT by Salvation
May 8, 2014
Thursday of the Third Week of Easter
Reading 1 Acts 8:26-40
The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip,
“Get up and head south on the road
that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.”
So he got up and set out.
Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch,
a court official of the Candace,
that is, the queen of the Ethiopians,
in charge of her entire treasury,
who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home.
Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
The Spirit said to Philip,
“Go and join up with that chariot.”
Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said,
“Do you understand what you are reading?”
He replied,
“How can I, unless someone instructs me?”
So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.
This was the Scripture passage he was reading:
Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will tell of his posterity?
For his life is taken from the earth.
Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply,
“I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this?
About himself, or about someone else?”
Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage,
he proclaimed Jesus to him.
As they traveled along the road
they came to some water,
and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water.
What is to prevent my being baptized?”
Then he ordered the chariot to stop,
and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water,
and he baptized him.
When they came out of the water,
the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away,
and the eunuch saw him no more,
but continued on his way rejoicing.
Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news
to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 66:8-9, 16-17, 20
R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Bless our God, you peoples,
loudly sound his praise;
He has given life to our souls,
and has not let our feet slip.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
When I appealed to him in words,
praise was on the tip of my tongue.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel Jn 6:44-51
Jesus said to the crowds:
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my Flesh for the life of the world.”
Please FReepmail me to get on/off the Alleluia Ping List.
From: Acts 8:26-40
Philip Baptizes a Eunuch
“As a sheep led to the slaughter
or a lamb before its shearer is dumb,
so he opens not his mouth.
[33] In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken up from the earth.”
[34] And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, pray, does the prophet say
this, about himself or about some one else?” [35] Then Philip opened his mouth,
and beginning with this scripture he told him the good news of Jesus. [36] And
as they went along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said,
“See, here is water! What is to prevent my being baptized?” [38] And he com-
manded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip, and
the eunuch, and he baptized him. [39] And when they came up out of the water,
the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and
went on his way rejoicing. [40] But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing on
he preached the gospel to all the towns till he came to Caesarea.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
26-40. The baptism of the Ethiopian official marks an important step in the spread
of Christianity. St Luke’s account underlines the importance of Sacred Scripture,
and its correct interpretation, in the work of evangelization. This episode encapsu-
lates the various stages in apostolate: Christ’s disciple is moved by the Spirit (v.
29) and readily obeys his instruction; he bases his preaching on Sacred Scripture
— as Jesus did in the case of the disciples of Emmaus — and then administers
Baptism.
27. Ethiopia: the kingdom of Nubia, whose capital was Meroe, to the south of
Egypt, below Aswan, the first cataract on the Nile (part of modern Sudan). Can-
dace, or Kandake, is not the name of an individual; it was the dynastic name of
the queens of that country, a country at that time ruled by women (cf. Eusebius,
“Ecclesiastical History”, II, 1, 13).
The term “eunuch”, like its equivalent in Hebrew, was often used independently
of its original physiological meaning and could refer to any court official (cf. for
example, Gen 39:1; 2 Kings 25:19). This particular man was an important official,
the equivalent of a minister of finance. We do not know if he was a member of
the Jewish race, a proselyte (a Jew not by race but by religion) or — perhaps —
a God-fearer (cf. note on Acts 2:5-11).
28. “Consider,” St John Chrysostom says, “what a good thing it is not to neglect
reading Scripture even when one is on a journey.... Let those reflect on this who
do not even read the Scriptures at home, and, because they are with their wife,
or are fighting in the army, or are very involved in family or other affairs, think that
there is no particular need for them to make the effort to read the divine Scrip-
tures. [...] This Ethiopian has something to teach us all—those who have a family
life, members of the army, officials, in a word, all men, and women too (particu-
larly those women who are always at home), and all those who have chosen the
monastic way of life. Let all learn that no situation is an obstacle to reading the
word of God: this is something one can do not only when one is alone at home
but also in the public square, on a journey, in the company of others, or when
engaged in one’s occupation. Let us not, I implore you, neglect to read the
Scriptures” (St John Chrysostom, “Hom. on Acts”, 35).
29-30. The fact that they are alone, that the road is empty, makes it easier for
them to have a deep conversation and easier for Philip to explain Christian tea-
ching. “I think so highly of your devotion to the early Christians that I will do all I
can to encourage it, so that you—like them—will put more enthusiasm each day
into that effective Apostolate of discretion and friendship” St. Escriva, “The Way”,
971). This was in fact one of the characteristic features of the kind of apostolate
carried out by our first brothers and sisters in the faith as they spread gradually
all over the Roman empire. They brought the Christian message to the people
around them — the sailor to the rest of the crew, the slave to his fellow slaves,
soldiers, traders, housewives .... This eager desire of theirs to spread the Gos-
pel showed their genuine conviction and was an additional proof of the truth of
the Christian message.
31. “How can I understand it, unless some one guides me?”: to a Jew of this pe-
riod the very idea of a Messiah who suffers and dies at the hands of his enemies
was quite repugnant. This explains why the Ethiopian has difficulty in understan-
ding this passage—and, indeed, the entire song of the Servant of Yahweh, from
which it comes (cf. Is 53).
Sometimes it is difficult to understand a passage of Scripture; as St Jerome com-
ments: “I am not,” to speak in passing of himself, “more learned or more holy than
that eunuch who traveled to the temple from Ethiopia, that is, from the end of the
earth: he left the royal palace and such was his desire for divine knowledge that
he was even reading the sacred words in his chariot. And yet...he did not realize
whom he was venerating in that book without knowing it. Philip comes along, he
reveals to him Jesus hidden and as it were imprisoned in the text [...], and in that
very moment he believes, is baptized, is faithful and holy. [...] I tell you this to
show you that, unless you have a guide who goes ahead of you to show you the
way, you cannot enter the holy Scriptures” (”Letter 53”, 5-6).
This guide is the Church; God, who inspired the sacred books, has entrusted
their interpretation to the Church. Therefore, the Second Vatican Council teaches
that “If we are to derive their true meaning from the sacred texts,” attention must
be devoted “not only to their content but to the unity of the whole of Scripture,
the living tradition of the entire Church, and the analogy of faith. [...] Everything to
do with the interpretation of Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the
Church, which exercises the divinely conferred communion and ministry of wat-
ching over and interpreting the Word of God” (Vatican II, “Dei Verbum”, 12).
35. “The eunuch deserves our admiration for his readiness to believe,” St John
Chrysostom comments. “He has not seen Jesus Christ nor has he witnessed
any miracle; what then is the reason for his change? It is because, being obser-
vant in matters of religion, he applies himself to the study of the sacred books
and makes them his book of meditation and reading” (”Hom. on Acts”, 19).
36. “What is to prevent my being baptized?”: the Ethiopian’s question reminds us
of the conditions necessary for receiving Baptism. Adults should be instructed in
the faith before receiving this sacrament; however, a period of “Christian initiation”
is not required if there is a good reason, such as danger of death.
The Church’s Magisterium stresses the obligation to baptize children without de-
lay. “The fact that children are incapable of making a personal profession of faith
does not deter the Church from conferring this sacrament on them; what it does
is baptize them in its own faith. This teaching was already clearly expressed by
St Augustine: ‘Children are presented for the reception of spiritual grace, not so
much by those who carry them in their arms—although also by them, if they are
good members of the Church as by the universal society of saints and faithful.
It is Mother Church herself who acts in her saints, because the whole Church be-
gets each and all’ (”Letter 98”, 5; cf. “Sermon 176”, 2). St Thomas Aquinas, and
after him most theologians, take up the same teaching: the child who is baptized
does not believe for itself, by a personal act of faith, but rather through others ‘by
the faith of the Church which is communicated to the child’ (”Summa Theologiae”,
III, q.69, a.6, ad 3; cf. q. 68, a. 9, ad 3). This same teaching is expressed in the
new rite of Baptism, when the celebrant asks the parents and godparents to pro-
fess the faith of the Church ‘in which the children are being baptized’”(”Instruction
on Infant Baptism”, 20 October 1980).
The Instruction goes on to say that “it is true that apostolic preaching is normal-
ly addressed to adults, and that the first to be baptized were adults who had
been converted to the Christian faith. From what we read in the New Testament
we might be led to think that it deals only with adults’ faith. However, the practice
of Baptism of infants is based on an ancient tradition of apostolic origin, whose
value must not be underestimated; furthermore, Baptism has never been admini-
stered without faith: in the case of infants the faith that intervenes is the Church’s
own faith. Besides, according to the Council of Trent’s teaching on the sacra-
ments, Baptism is not only a sign of faith: it is also the cause of faith” (”ibid.”).
Christian parents have a duty to see that their children are baptized quickly. The
Code of Canon Law specifies that parents are obliged to see that their infants are
baptized within the first few weeks. As soon as possible after the birth, indeed of-
ten before it, they are to approach the parish priest to ask for the sacrament for
their child, and to be themselves duly prepared for it” (can. 867).
37. This verse, not to be found in some Greek codices or in the better transla-
tions, was probably a gloss which later found its way into the text. In the Vulgate
it is given in this way: “Dixit autem Philippus: Si credis ex toto corde, licet. Et res-
pondens ait: Credo, Filium Dei esse Jesum Christum”, which translated would be:
“Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he replied, I believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” This very ancient gloss, inspired by baptis-
mal liturgy, helps to demonstrate that faith in Christ’s divine worship was the nu-
cleus of the creed a person had to subscribe to in order to be baptized. On this
occasion Philip, guided by the Holy Spirit, lays down no further condition and he
immediately proceeds to baptize the Ethiopian.
39. St John Chrysostom pauses to note that the Spirit takes Philip away without
giving him time to rejoice with the man he has just baptized: “Why did the Spirit
of the Lord bear him away? Because he had to go on to preach in other cities.
We should not be surprised that this happened in a divine rather than a human
way” (”Hom. on Acts”, 19).
The official “went on his way rejoicing” that God had made him his son through
Baptism. He had received the gift of faith, and with the help of divine grace he
was ready to live up to all the demands of that faith, even in adverse circumstan-
ces: quite probably he would be the only Christian in all Ethiopia.
Faith is a gift of God and is received as such at Baptism; but man’s response is
necessary if this gift is not to prove fruitless.
Baptism is one of the sacraments which imprints an indelible mark on the soul
and which can be received only once. However, a baptized person needs to be
continually renewing his commitment; this is not something to be done only du-
ring the Easter liturgy: in his everyday activity he should be striving to act like a
son of God.
It is natural and logical for the Ethiopian to be so happy, for Baptism brings with
it many graces. These St John Chrysostom lists, using quotations from the Gos-
pels and from the letters of St Paul: “The newly baptized are free, holy, righteous,
sons of God, heirs of heaven, brothers and co-heirs of Christ, members of his bo-
dy, temples of God, instruments of the Holy Spirit.... Those who yesterday were
captives are today free men and citizens of the Church. Those who yesterday
were in the shame of sin are now safe in righteousness; not alone are they free,
they are holy” (”Baptismal Catechesis”, III, 5).
*********************************************************************************************
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.
From: John 6:44-51
The Discourse on the Bread of Life (Continuation)
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
44-45. Seeking Jesus until one finds Him is a free gift which no one can obtain
through his own efforts, although everyone should try to be well disposed to re-
ceiving it. The Magisterium of the Church has recalled this teaching in Vatican II:
“Before this faith can be exercised, man must have the grace of God to move
and assist him; he must have the interior help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the
heart and converts it to God, who opens the eyes of the mind and makes it easy
for all to accept and believe the truth” (”Dei Verbum”, 5).
When Jesus says, “They shall all be taught by God”, He is invoking Isaiah 54:13
and Jeremiah 31:33ff, where the prophets refer to the future Covenant which God
will establish with His people when the Messiah comes, the Covenant which will
be sealed forever with the blood of the Messiah and which God will write on their
hearts (cf. Isaiah 53:10-12; Jeremiah 31:31-34).
The last sentence of verse 45 refers to God’s Revelation through the prophets
and especially through Jesus Christ.
46. Men can know God the Father only through Jesus Christ, because only He
has seen the Father, whom He has come to reveal to us. In his prologue St. John
already said: “No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of
the Father, He has made Him known” (John 1:18). Later on Jesus will say to Phi-
lip at the Last Supper: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9),
for Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no one goes to the Father ex-
cept through Him (cf. John 14:6).
In other words, in Christ God’s revelation to men reaches its climax: “For He
sent His Son, the eternal Word who enlightens all men, to dwell among men
and to tell them about the inner life of God (cf. John 1:1-18). Hence, Jesus Christ,
sent as ‘a man among men’, ‘utters the words of God’ (John 3:34), and accompli-
shes the saving work which the Father gave Him to do (cf. John 5:36; 17:4). To
see Jesus is to see His Father (cf. John 14:9)” (Vatican II, “Dei Verbum”, 4).
48. With this solemn declaration, which He repeats because of His audience’s
doubts, (cf. John 6:35, 41, 48), Jesus begins the second part of His discourse,
in which He explicitly reveals the great mystery of the Blessed Eucharist.
Christ’s words have such a tremendous realism about them that they cannot be
interpreted in a figurative way: if Christ were not really present under the species
of bread and wine, this discourse would make absolutely no sense. But if His
real presence in the Eucharist is accepted on faith, then His meaning is quite
clear and we can see how infinite and tender His love for us is.
This is so great a mystery that it has always acted as a touchstone for Christian
faith: it is proclaimed as “the mystery of our faith” immediately after the Conse-
cration of the Mass. Some of our Lord’s hearers were scandalized by what He
said on this occasion (cf. verses 60-66). Down through history people have tried
to dilute the obvious meaning of our Lord’s words. In our own day the Magiste-
rium of the Church has explained this teaching in these words” “When Transub-
stantiation has taken place, there is no doubt that the appearance of the bread
and the appearance of the wine take on a new expressiveness and a new pur-
pose since they are no longer common bread and common drink, but rather the
sign of something sacred and the sign of spiritual food. But they take on a new
expressiveness and a new purpose for the very reason that they contain a new
‘reality’ which we are right to call “ontological”. For beneath these appearances
there is no longer what was there before but something quite different [...] since
on the conversion of the bread and wine’s substance, or nature, into the body
and blood of Christ, nothing is left of the bread and the wine but the appearances
alone. Beneath these appearances Christ is present whole and entire, bodily pre-
sent too, in His physical ‘reality’, although not in the manner in which bodies are
present in place.
For this reason the Fathers have had to issue frequent warnings to the faithful,
when they consider this august Sacrament, not to be satisfied with the senses
which announce the properties of bread and wine. They should rather assent to
the words of Christ: these are of such power that they change, transform, ‘trans-
element’ the bread and the wine into His body and blood. The reason for this, as
the same Fathers say more than once, is that the power which performs this ac-
tion is the same power of Almighty God that created the whole universe out of
nothing at the beginning of time” (Paul VI, “Mysterium Fidei”).
49-51. The manna during the Exodus was a figure of this bread — Christ Himself
— which nourishes Christians on their pilgrimage through this world. Communion
is the wonderful banquet at which Christ gives Himself to us: “the bread which I
shall give for the life of the world is My flesh”. These words promise the manifes-
tation of the Eucharist at the Last Supper: “This is My body which is for you” (1
Corinthians 11:24). The words “for the life of the world” and “for you” refer to the
redemptive value of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. In some sacrifices of the
Old Testament, which were a figure of the sacrifice of Christ, part of the animal
offered up was later used for food, signifying participation in the sacred rite (cf.
Exodus 11:3-4). So, by receiving Holy Communion, we are sharing in the sacri-
fice of Christ: which is why the Church sings in the Liturgy of the Hours on the
Feast of Corpus Christi: “O sacred feast in which we partake of Christ: His suf-
ferings are remembered, our minds are filled with His grace and we receive a
pledge of the glory that is to be ours” (”Magnificat Antiphon”, Evening Prayer II).
********************************************************************************************
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.
|
First reading |
Acts 8:26-40 © |
The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, ‘Be ready to set out at noon along the road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza, the desert road.’ So he set off on his journey. Now it happened that an Ethiopian had been on pilgrimage to Jerusalem; he was a eunuch and an officer at the court of the kandake, or queen, of Ethiopia, and was in fact her chief treasurer. He was now on his way home; and as he sat in his chariot he was reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and meet that chariot.’ When Philip ran up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ ‘How can I’ he replied ‘unless I have someone to guide me?’ So he invited Philip to get in and sit by his side. Now the passage of scripture he was reading was this:
Like a sheep that is led to the slaughter-house,
like a lamb that is dumb in front of its shearers,
like these he never opens his mouth.
He has been humiliated and has no one to defend him.
Who will ever talk about his descendants,
since his life on earth has been cut short!
The eunuch turned to Philip and said, ‘Tell me, is the prophet referring to himself or someone else?’ Starting, therefore, with this text of scripture Philip proceeded to explain the Good News of Jesus to him.
Further along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘Look, there is some water here; is there anything to stop me being baptised?’ He ordered the chariot to stop, then Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water and Philip baptised him. But after they had come up out of the water again Philip was taken away by the Spirit of the Lord, and the eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. Philip found that he had reached Azotus and continued his journey proclaiming the Good News in every town as far as Caesarea.
|
Psalm |
|
Psalm 65:8-9,16-17,20 © |
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
O peoples, bless our God,
let the voice of his praise resound,
of the God who gave life to our souls
and kept our feet from stumbling.
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Come and hear, all who fear God.
I will tell what he did for my soul:
to him I cried aloud,
with high praise ready on my tongue.
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Blessed be God
who did not reject my prayer
nor withhold his love from me.
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
|
Gospel Acclamation |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord, who hung for us upon the tree,
has risen from the tomb.
Alleluia!
|
Or |
Jn6:51 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the living bread which has come down from heaven,
says the Lord.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.
Alleluia!
|
Gospel |
John 6:44-51 © |
Jesus said to the crowd:
‘No one can come to me
unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me,
and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They will all be taught by God,
and to hear the teaching of the Father,
and learn from it,
is to come to me.
Not that anybody has seen the Father,
except the one who comes from God:
he has seen the Father.
I tell you most solemnly,
everybody who believes has eternal life.
‘I am the bread of life.
Your fathers ate the manna in the desert
and they are dead;
but this is the bread that comes down from heaven,
so that a man may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give is my flesh,
for the life of the world.’
He is Risen! Truly Risen!
A blessed Eastertide to all!
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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.
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.
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
+
From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:
"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"
PLEASE JOIN US -
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May Devotion: Blessed Virgin Mary
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Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. Toward the end of the eighteenth century a zealous Jesuit priest, Father Lalomia, started among the students of the Roman college of his Society the practice of dedicating May to Our Lady. The devotion, which others had promoted in a small way, soon spread to other Jesuit Colleges and to the entire Latin church and since that time it has been a regular feature of Catholic life.
INVOCATIONS
Thou who wast a virgin before thy delivery, pray for us. Hail Mary, etc.
Thou who wast a virgin in thy delivery, pray for us. Hail Mary, etc.
Thou who wast a virgin after thy delivery, pray for us. Hail Mary, etc.
My Mother, deliver me from mortal sin.
Hail Mary (three times).
Mother of love, of sorrow and of mercy, pray for us.
Remember, O Virgin Mother of God, when thou shalt stand before the face of the Lord, that thou speak favorable things in our behalf and that He may turn away His indignation from us.
Roman Missal
Thou art my Mother, O Virgin Mary: keep me safe lest I ever offend thy dear Son, and obtain for me the grace to please Him always and in all things.
FOR THE HELP OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
May we be assisted, we beseech Thee, 0 Lord, by the worshipful intercession of Thy glorious Mother, the ever-Virgin Mary; that we, who have been enriched by her perpetual blessings, may be delivered from all dangers, and through her loving kindness made to be of one heart and mind: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Roman Missal
THE SALVE REGINA
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, 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!
Roman Breviary
PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
O blessed Virgin Mary, who can worthily repay thee thy just dues of praise and thanksgiving, thou who by the wondrous assent of thy will didst rescue a fallen world? What songs of praise can our weak human nature recite in thy honor, since it is by thy intervention alone that it has found
the way to restoration? Accept, then, such poor thanks as we have here to offer, though they be unequal to thy merits; and, receiving our vows, obtain by thy prayers the remission of our offenses. Carry thou our prayers within the sanctuary of the heavenly audience, and bring forth from it the antidote of our reconciliation. May the sins we bring before Almighty God through thee, become pardonable through thee; may what we ask for with sure confidence, through thee be granted. Take our offering, grant us our requests, obtain pardon for what we fear, for thou art the sole hope of sinners. Through thee we hope for the remission of our sins, and in thee, 0 blessed Lady, is our hope of reward. Holy Mary, succour the miserable, help the fainthearted, comfort the sorrowful, pray for thy people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God; may all who keep thy holy commemoration feel now thy help and protection. Be thou ever ready to assist us when we pray, and bring back to us the answers to our prayers. Make it thy continual care to pray for the people of God, thou who, blessed by God, didst merit to bear the Redeemer of the world, who liveth and reigneth, world without end. Amen.
Saint Augustine
PETITION TO MARY
Most holy Virgin Immaculate, my Mother Mary, to thee who art the Mother of my Lord, the queen of the universe, the advocate, the hope, the refuge of sinners, I who am the most miserable of all sinners, have recourse this day. I venerate thee, great queen, and I thank thee for the many graces thou hast bestowed upon me even unto this day; in particular for having delivered me from the hell which I have so often deserved by my sins. I love thee, most dear Lady; and for the love I bear thee, I promise to serve thee willingly for ever and to do what I can to make thee loved by others also. I place in thee all my hopes for salvation; accept me as thy servant and shelter me under thy mantle, thou who art the Mother of mercy. And since thou art so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or at least obtain for me the strength to overcome them until death. From thee I implore a true love for Jesus Christ. Through thee I hope to die a holy death. My dear Mother, by the love thou bearest to Almighty God, I pray thee to assist me always, but most of all at the last moment of my life. Forsake me not then, until thou shalt see me safe in heaven, there to bless thee and sing of thy mercies through all eternity. Such is my hope. Amen.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori
Magnificat Prayer
My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my savior,
For he has looked upon his servant in her lowliness; all ages to come shall call me blessed.
God who is mighty has done great things for me,
holy is his name; His mercy is from age to age on those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm; he has confused the proud in their inmost thoughts. He has deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places. The hungry he has given every good thing, while the rich he has sent empty away. He has upheld Israel his servant, ever mindful of his mercy; Even as he promised our fathers, promised Abraham and his descendants forever.
(Lk 1:46-55)
TO MARY, REFUGE OF SINNERS
Hail, most gracious Mother of mercy, hail, Mary, for whom we fondly yearn, through whom we obtain forgiveness! Who would not love thee? Thou art our light in uncertainty, our comfort in sorrow, our solace in the time of trial, our refuge from every peril and temptation. Thou art our sure hope of salvation, second only to thy only-begotten Son; blessed are they who love thee, our Lady! Incline, I beseech thee, thy ears of pity to the entreaties of this thy servant, a miserable sinner; dissipate the darkness of my sins by the bright beams of thy holiness, in order that I may be acceptable in thy sight.
FOR THE GRACE OF LOVE
O Mary, my dear Mother, how much I love thee! And yet in reality how little! Thou dost teach me what I ought to know, for thou teachest me what Jesus is to me and what I ought to be for Jesus. Dearly beloved Mother, how close to God thou art, and how utterly filled with Him! In the measure that we know God, we remind ourselves of thee. Mother of God, obtain for me the grace of loving my Jesus; obtain for me the grace of loving thee!
Cardinal Merry del Val
TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY FOR MAY
O most august and blessed Virgin Mary! Holy Mother of God! glorious Queen of heaven and earth! powerful protectress of those who love thee, and unfailing advocate of all who invoke thee! look down, I beseech thee, from thy throne of glory on thy devoted child; accept the solemn offering I present thee of this month, specially dedicated to thee, and receive my ardent, humble desire, that by my love and fervor I could worthily honor thee, who, next to God, art deserving of all honor. Receive me, 0 Mother of Mercy, among thy best beloved children; extend to me thy maternal tenderness and solicitude; obtain for me a place in the Heart of Jesus, and a special share in the gifts of His grace. 0 deign, I beseech thee, to recognize my claims on thy protection, to watch over my spiritual and temporal interests, as well as those of all who are dear to me; to infuse into my soul the spirit of Christ, and to teach me thyself to become meek, humble, charitable, patient, and submissive to the will of God.
May my heart bum with the love of thy Divine Son, and of thee, His blessed Mother, not for a month alone, but for time and eternity; may I thirst for the promotion of His honor and thine, and contribute, as far as I can, to its extension. Receive me, 0 Mary, the refuge of sinners! Grant me a Mother's blessing and a Mother's care, now, and at the hour of my death. Amen.
TO OUR LADY
Saint John Vianney, better known as the Cure of Ars, when asked how long he had loved Mary, said: "I loved her almost before I could know her." In this prayer he expresses that love.
O thou most holy virgin Mary, who dost evermore stand before the most holy Trinity, and to whom it is granted at all times to pray for us to thy most beloved Son; pray for me in all my necessities; help me, combat for me, and obtain for me the pardon of all my sins. Help me especially at my last hour; and when I can no longer give any sign of the use of reason, then do thou encourage me, make the sign of the cross for me, and fight for me against the enemy. Make in my name a profession of faith; favor me with a testimony of my salvation, and never let me despair of the mercy of God. Help me to overthrow the wicked enemy. When I can no longer say: "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I place my soul in your hands," do thou say it for me; when I can no longer hear human words of consolation, do thou comfort me. Leave me not before I have been judged; and if I have to expiate my sins in purgatory, oh! pray for me earnestly; and admonish my friends to procure for me a speedy enjoyment of the blessed sight of God. Lessen my sufferings, deliver me speedily, and lead my soul into heaven with thee: that, united with all the elect, I may there bless and praise my God and thee for all eternity. Amen.
Saint John Vianney
ACT OF REPARATION
O blessed Virgin, Mother of God, look down in mercy from heaven, where thou art enthroned as Queen, upon me, a miserable sinner, thine unworthy servant. Although I know full well my own unworthiness, yet in order to atone for the offenses that are done to thee by impious and blasphemous
tongues, from the depths of my heart I praise and extol thee as the purest, the fairest, the holiest creature of all God's handiwork. I bless thy holy name, I praise thine exalted privilege of being truly Mother of God, ever virgin, conceived without stain of sin, co-redemptrix of the human race. I bless the Eternal Father who chose thee in an especial way for His daughter; I bless the Word Incarnate who took upon Himself our nature in thy bosom and so made thee His Mother; I bless the Holy Spirit who took thee as His bride. All honor, praise and thanksgiving to the ever-blessed Trinity, who predestined thee and loved thee so exceedingly from all eternity as to exalt thee above all creatures to the most sublime heights. 0 Virgin, holy and merciful, obtain for all who offend thee the grace of repentance, and graciously accept this poor act of homage from me thy servant, obtaining likewise for me from thy divine Son the pardon and remission of all my sins. Amen.
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
| Memorare of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
Remember O Most Gracious Virgin Mary!
That never was it known
That anyone who fled to thy protection,
Implored thy help or sought thy intercession
Was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto Thee!
O Virgin of virgins, My Mother!
To Thee I come before Thee I stand,
Sinful and Sorrowful,
Oh Mother of the Word Incarnate,
Despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy,
Hear and answer me.
Amen
Who Is Our Lady of Laus? “My name is Mary” (CATHOLIC CAUCUS)
What Happened to the Virgin Mary After Pentecost? [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
Saint Thomas Aquinas on the Hail Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Yes, Mary DOES Know
How Can Mary Hear Thousands Simultaneously?
Fr Paul Schenck: Immaculate Conception Tells us Who Mary Is and Who We Are (Catholic Caucus)
Mary,Our Lady of Quatlasupe,She who crushes the head of the serpent, is leading...(Catholic Caucus)
MARY, MOTHER OF EVANGELIZATION [Cath-Orth caucus]
On Mary, Model of Faith, Charity and Union with Christ [Weekly Audience]
Why Don’t You honor Mary?
Columbus and the Virgin Mary [Catholic Caucus]
Pope Francis: Mary’s faith unties the knot of sin
Pope consecrates world to immaculate heart of Mary
Mary, Mother of God
Mary 'can only bring us to God,' expert says as entrustment nears
Pope Francis: "Mary, look upon us" (Mass in Cagliari)
Devotion to the Most Holy Name of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Pope Francis: contemplate the “suffering humanity” of Jesus and the sweetness of Mary
Mary's Nativity Draws Tens of Thousands to Indian Basilica
Veneration of Mary in Luke 11:27-28
Pope at Mass: Learning from Mary to keep the Word of God
Pope: Mary is always in a hurry to help us (first pastoral visit to a diocese in Rome)
Catholic Word of the Day: MARY'S SINLESSNESS, 04-01-13
Letter #47: To Mary (Pope Francis prays at (tomb of Pope St. Pius V) [Catholic Caucus]
Catholic Word of the Day: MARY'S VIRGINITY, 02-26-13
Mariaphobic Response Syndrome: Part Two
Mariaphobic Response Syndrome: Part One
A Mother’s Love, The Blessed Virgin Mary Saying YES To God
Chesterton on devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary [Ecumenical]
The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary
A Comparison is Instituted Between the Disobedient and Sinning Eve and the Virgin Mary..
Magnificat: The Hymn of the Blessed Virgin Mary [Catholic Caucus]
The Blessed Virgin Mary's Role in the Celibate Priest's Spousal... (Pt 2) (CATHOLIC CAUCUS)
The Blessed Virgin Mary's Role in the Celibate Priest's Spousal and Paternal Love (CATHOLIC CAUCUS)
Discovering Mary [Excellent New Book For Converts]
Beginning Our Lady's Month [Catholic Caucus]
Give it all to Mary [Catholic Caucus]
JESUS LIVING IN MARY: HANDBOOK, SPIRITUALITY OF ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT, ROSARY [Ecumenical]
Mary, Tabernacle of the Lord By Archbishop Fulton Sheen(Catholic Caucus)
A Protestant Discovers Mary
Mary is our Mother and Queen of the New Davidic Kingdom (Scriptures Agree With Catholic Church)
Hail Mary
Holy Water Silhouette (Virgin Mary -video))
How could Mary be the Mother of God?
Mary, the Mother of God (a defense)
Calling Mary “Mother of God” Tells Us Who Jesus Is
The Holy Spirit And Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Mary, Our Cause of Rejoicing
Mary in Byzantine Doctrine and Devotion (Catholic / Orthodox Caucus)
Radio Replies First Volume - Devotion to Mary
The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Catholic Discovery of America(Catholic Caucus)
Mary is the star that guides us to holiness, says Holy Father during Angelus [Catholic Caucus]
The Efficacy and Power of One Hail Mary [Ecumenical]
When Did Belief in the Virgin Birth Begin?
Mary, Motherhood, and the Home BY Archbishop Fulton Sheen
On Mary, Mother of Priests
Benedict reflects on Mary and the priesthood [Catholic Caucus]
Radio Replies First Volume - Mary
Scholar says Baptists neglect lessons from Virgin Mary
Mary and the Sword Continued Part #2 by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
Mary and the Sword by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen(Catholic Caucus)
Why Did Mary Offer a Sin Offering? [Ecumenical]
Mary and Intercessory Prayer
Mary: Holy Mother
Mary not just for Catholics anymore
Pope concludes Month of Mary in the Vatican Gardens
Consecration to Mary(Catholic Caucus)
Mary’s Marching Orders
Praying the Hail Mary Like Never Before [Ecumenical]
Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament [Catholic Caucus]
Catholic Caucus: The Catechism of St. Thomas Aquinas - THE HAIL MARY
Our Jewish Roots: The Immaculate Conception [Ecumenical]
The Blessed Virgin in the History of Christianity [Ecumenical]
Archbishop Sheen Today! -- Mary and the Moslems
Mary Immaculate: Patroness of the United States [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
"The Woman He Loved": Fulton Sheen and the Blessed Mother(Catholic Caucus)
September 12: The Most Holy Name of Mary and Militant Islam
Catholic Devotional: Feast of the Holy Name of Mary
A Homily on the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary
May Devotion: Blessed Virgin Mary
Catholic Caucus: Mary, The Power of Her Name [The Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary]
Pope's Intentions
Universal: That the media may be instruments in the service of truth and peace.
For Evangelization: That Mary, Star of Evangelization, may guide the Church in proclaiming Christ to all nations.
Thursday of the Third week of Easter
Commentary of the day
Saint Irenaeus of Lyons (c.130-c.208), Bishop, theologian and martyr
Against the heresies, V, 2, 2 (trans. breviary 3rd Thursday of Easter rev.)
"The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world"
They are wholly mistaken who reject God's plan for his creation, deny the salvation of the flesh and scoff at the idea of its regeneration, asserting that it cannot put on an imperishable nature. If the flesh is not saved, then the Lord did not redeem us with his blood, the chalice of the eucharist is not a share in his blood, and the bread which we break is not a share in his body (1Cor 10,16). For... the human substance wich the Word of God truly became redeems us with his blood...
Since we are his members (1Cor 6,15) and are nourished by his creation... he declared that the chalice of his creation is his own blood, from which he augments our own blood, and he affirmed that the bread of his creation is his own body from which he gives growth to our being.
So when the mixed chalice and the baked loaf receive the word of God, and when the eucharistic elements become the body and blood of Christ, which bring growth and sustenance to our bodily frame, how can it be maintained that our flesh is incapable of receiving God's gift of eternal life? For our flesh feeds on the Lord's body and blood and is his member. So Saint Paul writes: “We are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones” (Eph 5,30; Gn 2,23). He is not speaking about some spiritual and invisible man...: he is speaking of the anatomy of a real man, consisting of flesh, nerves and bones. It is this that is nourished by his chalice, the chalice of his blood, and gains growth from the bread which is his body... In the same way, our bodies are nourished by the after being buried in the earth and... rise again in due season, when the word of God confers resurrection upon them “for the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2,11).
| Thursday, May 08, 2014 Easter Weekday |
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Just A Minute (Listen) Some of EWTN's most popular hosts and guests in a collection of one minute inspirational messages. A different message each time you click. |
This prayer, which dates from the twelfth century, is substituted for the Angelus during Easter Season.
In Latin |
In English |
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Regina coeli, laetare, alleluia: Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia. Resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.
V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, Alleluia, R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.
Oremus: Deus qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus, ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen. |
Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia: For He whom you merited to bear, alleluia, Has risen as He said, alleluia. Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. R. Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.
Let us pray: O God, who by the Resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, granted joy to the whole world: grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may lay hold of the joys of eternal life. Through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen. |
Feast Day: May 8
Born: 1102, Saint-Maurice-l'Exil near Vienne, a town ot the Rhône-Alpes
Died: 1174, Bellevaux Abbey
Major Shrine: 1191 by Pope Celestine III
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