Posted on 06/11/2014 8:58:40 PM PDT by Salvation
June 12, 2014
Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 1 Kgs 18:41-46
Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink,
for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”
So Ahab went up to eat and drink,
while Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel,
crouched down to the earth,
and put his head between his knees.
“Climb up and look out to sea,” he directed his servant,
who went up and looked, but reported, “There is nothing.”
Seven times he said, “Go, look again!”
And the seventh time the youth reported,
“There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.”
Elijah said, “Go and say to Ahab,
‘Harness up and leave the mountain before the rain stops you.’”
In a trice the sky grew dark with clouds and wind,
and a heavy rain fell.
Ahab mounted his chariot and made for Jezreel.
But the hand of the LORD was on Elijah,
who girded up his clothing and ran before Ahab
as far as the approaches to Jezreel.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 65:10, 11, 12-13
R. (2a) It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.
You have visited the land and watered it;
greatly have you enriched it.
God’s watercourses are filled;
you have prepared the grain.
R. It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.
Thus have you prepared the land:
drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods,
Softening it with showers,
blessing its yield.
R. It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.
You have crowned the year with your bounty,
and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it,
and rejoicing clothes the hills.
R. It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.
Gospel Mt 5:20-26
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that
of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment,
and whoever says to his brother,
‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,
and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,
and the judge will hand you over to the guard,
and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you,
you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”
Day 179 - Why is marriage indissoluble? // What threatens marriages?
Why is marriage indissoluble?
Marriage is triply indissoluble: first, because the essence of love is mutual self-giving without reservation; second, because it is an image of God's unconditional faithfulness to his creation; and third, because it represents Christ's devotion to his Church, even unto death on the Cross.
At a time when 50 percent of marriages in many places end in divorce, every marriage that lasts is a great sign - ultimately a sign for God. On this earth, where so much is relative, people ought to believe in God, who alone is absolute. That is why everything that is not relative is so important: someone who speaks the truth absolutely or is absolutely loyal. Absolute fidelity in marriage is not so much a human achievement as it is a testimony to the faithfulness of God, who is there even when we betray or forget him in so many ways. To be married in the Church means to rely more on God's help than on one's own resources of love.
What threatens marriages?
What really threatens marriages is sin; what renews them is forgiveness; what makes them strong is prayer and trust in God's presence.
Conflict between men and women, which sometimes reaches the point of mutual hatred in marriages, of all places, is not a sign that the sexes are incompatible; nor is there such a thing as a genetic disposition to infidelity or some special psychological disability for lifelong commitments. Many marriages, however, are endangered by a lack of communication and consideration. Then there are economic and societal problems. The decisive role is played by the reality of sin: envy, love of power, a tendency to quarrel, lust, infidelity, and other destructive forces. That is why forgiveness and reconciliation, in confession as well, is an essential part of every marriage. (YOUCat questions 263-264)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (1612-1617) and other references here.
Part 2: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (1066 - 1690)
Section 2: The Seven Sacraments of the Church (1210 - 1690)
Chapter 3: The Sacraments at the Service of Communion (1533 - 1666)
Article 7: The Sacrament of Matrimony (1601 - 1666)
I. MARRIAGE IN GOD'S PLAN ⇡
Marriage in the Lord ⇡
The nuptial covenant between God and his people Israel had prepared the way for the new and everlasting covenant in which the Son of God, by becoming incarnate and giving his life, has united to himself in a certain way all mankind saved by him, thus preparing for "the wedding-feast of the Lamb."104
104.
Rev 19:7,9; cf. GS 22.
On the threshold of his public life Jesus performs his first sign at his mother's request during a wedding feast.105 The Church attaches great importance to Jesus' presence at the wedding at Cana. She sees in it the confirmation of the goodness of marriage and the proclamation that thenceforth marriage will be an efficacious sign of Christ's presence.
105.
Cf. Jn 2:1-11.
In his preaching Jesus unequivocally taught the original meaning of the union of man and woman as the Creator willed it from the beginning permission given by Moses to divorce one's wife was a concession to the hardness of hearts.106 The matrimonial union of man and woman is indissoluble: God himself has determined it "what therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder."107
106.
Cf. Mt 19:8.
107.
This unequivocal insistence on the indissolubility of the marriage bond may have left some perplexed and could seem to be a demand impossible to realize. However, Jesus has not placed on spouses a burden impossible to bear, or too heavy heavier than the Law of Moses.108 By coming to restore the original order of creation disturbed by sin, he himself gives the strength and grace to live marriage in the new dimension of the Reign of God. It is by following Christ, renouncing themselves, and taking up their crosses that spouses will be able to "receive" the original meaning of marriage and live it with the help of Christ.109 This grace of Christian marriage is a fruit of Christ's cross, the source of all Christian life.
108.
Cf. Mk 8:34; Mt 11:29-30.
109.
Cf. Mt 19:11.
This is what the Apostle Paul makes clear when he says: "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her," adding at once: "'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one. This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the Church."110
110.
Eph 5:25-26,31-32; Cf. Gen 2:24.
The entire Christian life bears the mark of the spousal love of Christ and the Church. Already Baptism, the entry into the People of God, is a nuptial mystery; it is so to speak the nuptial bath.111 which precedes the wedding feast, the Eucharist. Christian marriage in its turn becomes an efficacious sign, the sacrament of the covenant of Christ and the Church. Since it signifies and communicates grace, marriage between baptized persons is a true sacrament of the New Covenant.112
111.
Cf. Eph 5:26-27.
112.
Cf. DS 1800; CIC, Can. 1055 § 2.
Daily Readings for:June 12, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)
Collect: O God, from whom all good things come, grant that we, who call on you in our need, may at your prompting discern what is right, and by your guidance do it. 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
ACTIVITIES
o Religion in the Home for Preschool: June
PRAYERS
o June Devotion: The Sacred Heart
LIBRARY
o None
· Ordinary Time: June 12th
· Thursday of the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. John of San Facundo, confessor; Saints Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor and Nazarius, martyrs
According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. John of San Facondo born in 1430 in Spain. He was a canon of the cathedral of Burgos and then entered the Hermits of St. Augustine. He was distinguished for his great devotion to the sacrifice of the Mass and for his forceful preaching. He died in 1479.
Today is also the commemoration of Sts. Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor and Nazarius. These four martyrs have been venerated together at Rome from very early times.
St. John of San Facundo
John came from a wealthy family. During a serious sickness he vowed to embrace an ascetic way of life upon recovery. In fulfillment of his resolve, he gave the better of his two garments to a beggar who went about almost naked, and joined the hermits of St. Augustine at Salamanca (1463); at the time that monastery was universally respected because of its strict rule and discipline. He was often granted the privilege of seeing Christ the Lord at holy Mass and learning the deepest secrets directly from God Himself, the secrets of men's hearts and the secret events of the future. Through his prayers the seven-year-old daughter of his brother was raised to life. His death was probably due to poisoning.
John's special charism was to calm passions and to restore peace. How quickly disputes and quarrels arise! Yet we must practice the beatitude: "Blessed are the peacemakers." Remember that the prayers for peace and the kiss of peace in the Mass should not be empty ceremonies.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Salamanca, Spain.
Symbols: A hermit of St. Augustine, walking upon the sea; holding a chalice and host surrounded by rays of light.
Sts. Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor, and Nazarius
Basilides was a soldier in Rome, Nabor and Nazarius soldiers in Milan. Their bodies were found on the present day by St. Ambrose. All three died as martyrs under Diocletian. Cyrinus or Quirinus was a famous bishop of Siscia. In the church of the Apostles in Milan, St. Ambrose inscribed a number of edifying verses over the tomb of St. Nazarius. The final lines are: "Whom the Cross leads to victory, for him the Cross is the pledge of peace."
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
10th Week in Ordinary Time
Seven times he said, “Go, look again!” (1 Kings 18:43)
Fresh from defeating the pagan prophets, Elijah knew that God was about to break the long famine by sending a monster rainstorm. But seven times he sent his servant to look for a tiny sign of that coming storm. And seven times the servant returned reporting, “There is nothing” (1 Kings 18:43).
Finally the servant reported glimpsing a tiny cloud. That was enough for Elijah. He sent a message to the king and put on his running shoes. Almost immediately, the storm broke in full force.
How often do you find yourself in that servant’s position? You intercede, but you can see no sign that God is about to intervene or that he is at work at all in the situation. Usually all you can do is keep praying, keeping your eyes open for that tiny cloud, that little sign that God is about to work. It may not look like much, and it may be a long time coming, but you know that God is perfectly capable of producing impressive results from seemingly unpromising beginnings. The Holy Spirit needs only the tiniest of openings, so never give up hope!
Where can you discern a tiny cloud on your horizon today? What is God up to?
Look first for the tiny signs that God is at work in situations you have been laying at his feet for a long time. Perhaps that neighbor who turns a deaf ear to God-talk is troubled by something he regards as unjust. Perhaps the niece who no longer goes to church has decided to name her newborn after a favorite saint. Perhaps you realize that a book you and a friend are reading together may provide an opening to share the good news.
Try also to be open to surprises God may have in hand—areas that haven’t yet entered your mind or prayers. His cloud may look like an invitation to a party with a casual acquaintance. Maybe an innocent question opens up a new level of conversation. When you catch a glimpse like this, act on it! One thing is certain: God never delays. He comes at exactly the right time. May we always be open and alert to his work!
“Lord, open my eyes so that I can see you at work in my life and in your world.”
Psalm 65:10-13; Matthew 5:20-26
Daily Marriage Tip for June 12, 2014:
(Readers Tip) Speak to your spouse the way you would to a stranger or a co-worker. Be kind.
Keep Your Words Short and Sweet 2014-06-12 |
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June 11, 2014
Jesus Christ is the summary of the Old and New Testament. He came to perfect the law, and his new perfect law is love. The purpose of life is to complete the plan of salvation of God for man. Man was created in the image of God and in his innermost being, God engraved the need to love. All the laws and commandments in fact has been summarized into two commandments: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.
Today’s Gospel reading is taken from the Sermon on the Mount which is like the constitution of the Christian to be a good citizen of heaven. It describes what a Christian is, what kind of person merits being called a disciple of Christ. It goes even further that a Christian not only follows the commandments, not only lives the commandments, but also as important, teaches the commandments. This is made possible with the arrival of Jesus Christ who resurrected from the dead and sent his Holy Spirit to give us sanctifying grace that will help fulfill the commandments of God. By sheer human effort, we cannot fulfill even one commandment. We need the grace of God to be able to do it. This is important for us to realize, that even with the best intentions, without the Holy Spirit, nothing is possible. That is why faith and the Holy Spirit are precisely gift and not reward. We cannot say we deserve grace, nor merit this gift of faith in our Baptism, but it has been given to us free, out of pure love of God for man.
Language: English | Español
All Issues > Volume 30, Issue 4
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Matthew | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
Matthew 5 |
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20. | For I tell you, that unless your justice abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. | Dico enim vobis, quia nisi abundaverit justitia vestra plus quam scribarum, et pharisæorum, non intrabitis in regnum cælorum. | λεγω γαρ υμιν οτι εαν μη περισσευση η δικαιοσυνη υμων πλειον των γραμματεων και φαρισαιων ου μη εισελθητε εις την βασιλειαν των ουρανων |
21. | You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not kill. And whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. | Audistis quia dictum est antiquis : Non occides : qui autem occiderit, reus erit judicio. | ηκουσατε οτι ερρεθη τοις αρχαιοις ου φονευσεις ος δ αν φονευση ενοχος εσται τη κρισει |
22. | But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou Fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. | Ego autem dico vobis : quia omnis qui irascitur fratri suo, reus erit judicio. Qui autem dixerit fratri suo, raca : reus erit concilio. Qui autem dixerit, fatue : reus erit gehennæ ignis. | εγω δε λεγω υμιν οτι πας ο οργιζομενος τω αδελφω αυτου εικη ενοχος εσται τη κρισει ος δ αν ειπη τω αδελφω αυτου ρακα ενοχος εσται τω συνεδριω ος δ αν ειπη μωρε ενοχος εσται εις την γεενναν του πυρος |
23. | If therefore thou offer thy gift at the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother hath any thing against thee; | Si ergo offers munus tuum ad altare, et ibi recordatus fueris quia frater tuus habet aliquid adversum te : | εαν ουν προσφερης το δωρον σου επι το θυσιαστηριον και εκει μνησθης οτι ο αδελφος σου εχει τι κατα σου |
24. | Leave there thy offering before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother: and then coming thou shalt offer thy gift. | relinque ibi munus tuum ante altare, et vade prius reconciliari fratri tuo : et tunc veniens offeres munus tuum. | αφες εκει το δωρον σου εμπροσθεν του θυσιαστηριου και υπαγε πρωτον διαλλαγηθι τω αδελφω σου και τοτε ελθων προσφερε το δωρον σου |
25. | Be at agreement with thy adversary betimes, whilst thou art in the way with him: lest perhaps the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. | Esto consentiens adversario tuo cito dum es in via cum eo : ne forte tradat te adversarius judici, et judex tradat te ministro : et in carcerem mittaris. | ισθι ευνοων τω αντιδικω σου ταχυ εως οτου ει εν τη οδω μετ αυτου μηποτε σε παραδω ο αντιδικος τω κριτη και ο κριτης σε παραδω τω υπηρετη και εις φυλακην βληθηση |
26. | Amen I say to thee, thou shalt not go out from thence till thou repay the last farthing. | Amen dico tibi, non exies inde, donec reddas novissimum quadrantem. | αμην λεγω σοι ου μη εξελθης εκειθεν εως αν αποδως τον εσχατον κοδραντην |
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