Posted on 08/04/2014 10:54:08 PM PDT by Salvation
August 5, 2014
Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 Jer 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22
The following message came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel:
Write all the words I have spoken to you in a book.
For thus says the LORD:
Incurable is your wound,
grievous your bruise;
There is none to plead your cause,
no remedy for your running sore,
no healing for you.
All your lovers have forgotten you,
they do not seek you.
I struck you as an enemy would strike,
punished you cruelly;
Why cry out over your wound?
your pain is without relief.
Because of your great guilt,
your numerous sins,
I have done this to you.
Thus says the LORD:
See! I will restore the tents of Jacob,
his dwellings I will pity;
City shall be rebuilt upon hill,
and palace restored as it was.
From them will resound songs of praise,
the laughter of happy men.
I will make them not few, but many;
they will not be tiny, for I will glorify them.
His sons shall be as of old,
his assembly before me shall stand firm;
I will punish all his oppressors.
His leader shall be one of his own,
and his rulers shall come from his kin.
When I summon him, he shall approach me;
how else should one take the deadly risk
of approaching me? says the LORD.
You shall be my people,
and I will be your God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23
R. (17) The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
“The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The children of your servants shall abide,
and their posterity shall continue in your presence,
That the name of the LORD may be declared on Zion;
and his praise, in Jerusalem,
When the peoples gather together
and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
Gospel Mt 14:22-36
Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”
After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed.
Some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,
“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?
They do not wash their hands when they eat a meal.”
He summoned the crowd and said to them, “Hear and understand.
It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles the man;
but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.”
Then his disciples approached and said to him,
“Do you know that the Pharisees took offense
when they heard what you said?”
He said in reply, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted
will be uprooted.
Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.
If a blind man leads a blind man,
both will fall into a pit.
Feast Day: August 5
Blessed Frederic Janssoone
Feast Day: August 5
Born: 1838 :: Died: 1916
Blessed Frederic Janssoone was born in Flanders in Belgium and lived a very interesting life. Frederic had rich parents who owned a farm and he was the youngest of thirteen children.
But when he was only nine years old his father died, so he left school to work and help support his mother. He soon realized that he was very good at selling things to people. He enjoyed meeting new people and he knew how to explain about the things he sold.
Then Frederic's mother died when he was twenty-three years old and he began to think about what he could do with his life. He wanted very much to become a Franciscan priest, so he joined the seminary where he studied to become a priest. After he became a priest he was first asked to serve in the military taking care of the spiritual needs of soldiers.
A few years later, he was sent to the Holy Land where he preached the Gospel in the places made holy by Jesus himself. He used his skills to help different groups of Christians come together and look after two sacred churches. He also built another church in Bethlehem.
Blessed Frederic is also remembered for starting again an old forgotten custom of having pilgrims make the Stations of the Cross throughout the streets of Jerusalem.
Father Frederic's ministry (work) in Canada began when he was sent there to collect money for charity. Because he was so talented and had such a joyful spirit of self- giving the people there loved him immediately. In his sermons and talks he told them many interesting stories about the Holy Land. He looked into the faces and hearts of the people and prayed that they would come close to God and their love for Him would grow strong.
In 1888, he returned to Canada to stay and spent the rest of his life there.
Besides being an interesting person, Father Janssoone was also a very good writer. He wrote several articles and life stories of saints. They remind us of the delight that filled his soul and reflect the joy of Jesus that he so willingly shared with others.
Father Frederic died on August 4, 1916 in Canada.
Tuesday, August 5
Liturgical Color: Green
Today is the optional memorial of the
Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary
Major in Rome. In 358 A.D., Pope
Liberius received a vision of Our Lady
requesting a church be built in her honor.
It's the oldest church dedicated to Our
Lady in the West.
Why is it not permissible to take one's own life or the lives of others?
God alone is Lord over life and death. Except in the case of legitimate self-defense of oneself or another, no one may kill another human being. An attack on life is a sacrilege committed against God. Human life is sacred; this means that it belongs to God; it is his property. Even our own life is only entrusted to us. God himself has given us the gift of life; only he may take it back from us. The Book of Exodus, translated literally, says "You shall not murder" (Ex 20:13).
What sorts of attacks on human life are forbidden by the Fifth Commandment?
Murder and acting as an accomplice to murder are forbidden. Killing unarmed civilians during a war is forbidden. The abortion of a human being, from the moment of conception on, is forbidden. Suicide, self-mutilation, and self-destructive behavior are forbidden. Euthanasiakilling the handicapped, the sick, and the dyingis also forbidden. Today people often try to get around the Fifth Commandment with seemingly humane arguments. But neither euthanasia nor abortion is a humane solution. That is why the Church is perfectly clear on these questions. Whoever participates in an abortion, forces a woman to undergo an abortion, or merely advises her to do so is automatically excommunicatedjust as with other crimes against human life. If a psychologically ill person commits suicide, responsibility for the act of killing is often diminished and in many cases completely annulled. (YOUCAT questions 378-379)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (2268-2283) and other references here.
Part 3: Life in Christ (1691 - 2557)
Section 2: The Ten Commandments (2052 - 2557)
Chapter 2: You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself (2196 - 2557)
Article 5: The Fifth Commandment (2258 - 2330)
Jesus said to his disciples: "Love one another even as I have loved you."1 ⇡
You shall not kill.54
You have heard that it was said to the men of old, "You shall not kill: and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment." But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment.55 ⇡
I. RESPECT FOR HUMAN LIFE ⇡
Intentional homicide ⇡
The fifth commandment forbids direct and intentional killing as gravely sinful. The murderer and those who cooperate voluntarily in murder commit a sin that cries out to heaven for vengeance.69 Infanticide,70 fratricide, parricide, and the murder of a spouse are especially grave crimes by reason of the natural bonds which they break. Concern for eugenics or public health cannot justify any murder, even if commanded by public authority.
1.
54.
55.
69.
Cf. Gen 4:10.
70.
Cf. GS 51 § 3.
The fifth commandment forbids doing anything with the intention of indirectly bringing about a person's death. The moral law prohibits exposing someone to mortal danger without grave reason, as well as refusing assistance to a person in danger. The acceptance by human society of murderous famines, without efforts to remedy them, is a scandalous injustice and a grave offense. Those whose usurious and avaricious dealings lead to the hunger and death of their brethren in the human family indirectly commit homicide, which is imputable to them.71 Unintentional killing is not morally imputable. But one is not exonerated from grave offense if, without proportionate reasons, he has acted in a way that brings about someone's death, even without the intention to do so.
71.
Cf. Am 8:4-10.
Abortion ⇡
Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.72 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.73
My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.74
72.
Cf. CDF, Donum vitae I,1.
73.
Jer 1:5; cf. Job 10:8-12; Ps 22:10-11.
74.
Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.75
God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.76
75.
Didache 2,2:SCh 248,148; cf. Ep. Barnabae 19,5:PG 2 777; Ad Diognetum 5,6:PG 2,1173; Tertullian, Apol. 9:PL 1,319-320.
76.
GS 51 § 3.
Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. "A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,"77 "by the very commission of the offense,"78 and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law.79 The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.
77.
CIC, can. 1398.
78.
CIC, can. 1314.
79.
Cf. CIC, cann. 1323-1324.
The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation: "The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being's right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death."80
"The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law. When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined. ... As a consequence of the respect and protection which must be ensured for the unborn child from the moment of conception, the law must provide appropriate penal sanctions for every deliberate violation of the child's rights."81
80.
CDF, Donum vitae III.
81.
CDF, Donum vitae III.
Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being. Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, "if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an individual. ... It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence."82
82.
CDF, Donum vitae I,2.
"One must hold as licit procedures carried out on the human embryo which respect the life and integrity of the embryo and do not involve disproportionate risks for it, but are directed toward its healing the improvement of its condition of health, or its individual survival."83
"It is immoral to produce human embryos intended for exploitation as disposable biological material."84
"Certain attempts to influence chromosomic or genetic inheritance are not therapeutic but are aimed at producing human beings selected according to sex or other predetermined qualities. Such manipulations are contrary to the personal dignity of the human being and his integrity and identity"85 which are unique and unrepeatable.
83.
CDF, Donum vitae I,3.
84.
CDF, Donum vitae I,5.
85.
CDF, Donum vitae I,6.
Euthanasia ⇡
Those whose lives are diminished or weakened deserve special respect. Sick or handicapped persons should be helped to lead lives as normal as possible.
Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable. Thus an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator. The error of judgment into which one can fall in good faith does not change the nature of this murderous act, which must always be forbidden and excluded.
Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of "over-zealous" treatment. Here one does not will to cause death; one's inability to impede it is merely accepted. The decisions should be made by the patient if he is competent and able or, if not, by those legally entitled to act for the patient, whose reasonable will and legitimate interests must always be respected.
Even if death is thought imminent, the ordinary care owed to a sick person cannot be legitimately interrupted. The use of painkillers to alleviate the sufferings of the dying, even at the risk of shortening their days, can be morally in conformity with human dignity if death is not willed as either an end or a means, but only foreseen and tolerated as inevitable Palliative care is a special form of disinterested charity. As such it should be encouraged.
Suicide ⇡
Everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him. It is God who remains the sovereign Master of life. We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for his honor and the salvation of our souls. We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. It is not ours to dispose of.
Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just love of self. It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God.
If suicide is committed with the intention of setting an example, especially to the young, it also takes on the gravity of scandal. Voluntary co-operation in suicide is contrary to the moral law.
Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide.
We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.
Matthew | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
Matthew 14 |
|||
22. | And forthwith Jesus obliged his disciples to go up into the boat, and to go before him over the water, till he dismissed the people. | Et statim compulit Jesus discipulos ascendere in naviculam, et præcedere eum trans fretum, donec dimitteret turbas. | και ευθεως ηναγκασεν ο ιησους τους μαθητας εμβηναι εις το πλοιον και προαγειν αυτον εις το περαν εως ου απολυση τους οχλους |
23. | And having dismissed the multitude, he went into a mountain alone to pray. And when it was evening, he was there alone. | Et dimissa turba, ascendit in montem solus orare. Vespere autem facto solus erat ibi : | και απολυσας τους οχλους ανεβη εις το ορος κατ ιδιαν προσευξασθαι οψιας δε γενομενης μονος ην εκει |
24. | But the boat in the midst of the sea was tossed with the waves: for the wind was contrary. | navicula autem in medio mari jactabatur fluctibus : erat enim contrarius ventus. | το δε πλοιον ηδη μεσον της θαλασσης ην βασανιζομενον υπο των κυματων ην γαρ εναντιος ο ανεμος |
25. | And in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them walking upon the sea. | Quarta enim vigilia noctis, venit ad eos ambulans super mare. | τεταρτη δε φυλακη της νυκτος απηλθεν προς αυτους ο ιησους περιπατων επι της θαλασσης |
26. | And they seeing him walk upon the sea, were troubled, saying: It is an apparition. And they cried out for fear. | Et videntes eum super mare ambulantem, turbati sunt, dicentes : Quia phantasma est. Et præ timore clamaverunt. | και ιδοντες αυτον οι μαθηται επι την θαλασσαν περιπατουντα εταραχθησαν λεγοντες οτι φαντασμα εστιν και απο του φοβου εκραξαν |
27. | And immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying: Be of good heart: it is I, fear ye not. | Statimque Jesus locutus est eis, dicens : Habete fiduciam : ego sum, nolite timere. | ευθεως δε ελαλησεν αυτοις ο ιησους λεγων θαρσειτε εγω ειμι μη φοβεισθε |
28. | And Peter making answer, said: Lord, if it be thou, bid me come to thee upon the waters. | Respondens autem Petrus, dixit : Domine, si tu es, jube me ad te venire super aquas. | αποκριθεις δε αυτω ο πετρος ειπεν κυριε ει συ ει κελευσον με προς σε ελθειν επι τα υδατα |
29. | And he said: Come. And Peter going down out of the boat, walked upon the water to come to Jesus. | At ipse ait : Veni. Et descendens Petrus de navicula, ambulabat super aquam ut veniret ad Jesum. | ο δε ειπεν ελθε και καταβας απο του πλοιου ο πετρος περιεπατησεν επι τα υδατα ελθειν προς τον ιησουν |
30. | But seeing the wind strong, he was afraid: and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying: Lord, save me. | Videns vero ventum validum, timuit : et cum cpisset mergi, clamavit dicens : Domine, salvum me fac. | βλεπων δε τον ανεμον ισχυρον εφοβηθη και αρξαμενος καταποντιζεσθαι εκραξεν λεγων κυριε σωσον με |
31. | And immediately Jesus stretching forth his hand took hold of him, and said to him: O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt? | Et continuo Jesus extendens manum, apprehendit eum : et ait illi : Modicæ fidei, quare dubitasti ? | ευθεως δε ο ιησους εκτεινας την χειρα επελαβετο αυτου και λεγει αυτω ολιγοπιστε εις τι εδιστασας |
32. | And when they were come up into the boat, the wind ceased. | Et cum ascendissent in naviculam, cessavit ventus. | και εμβαντων αυτων εις το πλοιον εκοπασεν ο ανεμος |
33. | And they that were in the boat came and adored him, saying: Indeed thou art the Son of God. | Qui autem in navicula erant, venerunt, et adoraverunt eum, dicentes : Vere Filius Dei es. | οι δε εν τω πλοιω ελθοντες προσεκυνησαν αυτω λεγοντες αληθως θεου υιος ει |
34. | And having passed the water, they came into the country of Genesar. | Et cum transfretassent, venerunt in terram Genesar. | και διαπερασαντες ηλθον εις την γην γεννησαρετ |
35. | And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent into all that country, and brought to him all that were diseased. | Et cum cognovissent eum viri loci illius, miserunt in universam regionem illam, et obtulerunt ei omnes male habentes : | και επιγνοντες αυτον οι ανδρες του τοπου εκεινου απεστειλαν εις ολην την περιχωρον εκεινην και προσηνεγκαν αυτω παντας τους κακως εχοντας |
36. | And they besought him that they might touch but the hem of his garment. And as many as touched, were made whole. | et rogabant eum ut vel fimbriam vestimenti ejus tangerent. Et quicumque tetigerunt, salvi facti sunt. | και παρεκαλουν αυτον ινα μονον αψωνται του κρασπεδου του ιματιου αυτου και οσοι ηψαντο διεσωθησαν |
Daily Readings for:August 05, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)
Collect: Pardon the faults of your servants, we pray, O Lord, that we, who cannot please you by our own deeds, may be saved through the intercession of the Mother of your Son and our Lord. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
RECIPES
ACTIVITIES
o Marian Hymn: Lourdes Hymn or Immaculate Mary
PRAYERS
o Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Litany of Loretto)
· Ordinary Time: August 5th
· Optional Memorial of the Dedication of St. Mary Major
Old Calendar: Dedication of the Church of Our Lady of the Snow (St. Mary Major); St. Oswald (Hist); St. Emygdius, bishop & martyr (Hist)
We celebrate today the dedication of one of the four most illustrious churches of Rome. While each diocese and parish keeps its own dedication anniversary, the Church universal commemorates the consecration of the four great Roman basilicas, the mother churches, we may call them, of Christendom, viz., St. John Lateran, St. Peter, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and St. Mary Major. By means of these feasts the Church seeks to link all Christians with the Holy See.
This feast commemorates the miracle of the snowfall that occurred during the night of August 4-5 in the year 358 on the site where the basilica now stands. According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared in a dream to two faithful Roman Christians, the patrician John and his wife, as well as to Pope Liberius (352-366), asking that a church be built in her honor on the site where snow would fall on the night of August 4-5. Pope Liberius traced the outlines of the church in the snow and the first basilica was built on that site. It was completed about a century later by Pope Sixtus III (432-440), after the Council of Ephesus in 431 during which Mary was declared to be the Mother of God.
In Rome the Basilica of St. Mary Major will hold its traditional triduum from August 1 to 3 and two days of celebration on August 4 and 5. During the pontifical Mass and the second vespers, the traditional shower of flower petals will descend from the ceiling of the basilica to commemorate the August snowfall in 358.
St. Oswald, king, is mentioned in the Roman Martyrology. St. Bede the Venerable commemorates his deeds. He was sometimes portrayed as a martyr, since he died in battle against the pagan Welsh invaders.
Historically it is also the feast of St. Emygdius who lived in the 3rd and 4th century and was a Christian bishop in Ascoli Piceno in Italy. He converted many people to Christianity with his displays of miracles.
Dedication of St. Mary Major
St. Mary Major is important to Christendom for three reasons:
(a) It stands as a venerable monument to the Council of Ephesus (431), at which the dogma of Mary's divine Motherhood was solemnly defined; the definition of the Council occasioned a most notable increase in the veneration paid to Mary.
(b) The basilica is Rome's "church of the crib," a kind of Bethlehem within the Eternal City; it also is a celebrated station church, serving, for instance, as the center for Rome's liturgy for the first Mass on Christmas. In some measure every picture of Mary with the divine Child is traceable to this church.
(c) St. Mary Major is Christendom's first Marian shrine for pilgrims. It set the precedent for the countless shrines where pilgrims gather to honor our Blessed Mother throughout the world. Here was introduced an authentic expression of popular piety that has been the source of untold blessings and graces for Christianity in the past as in the present.
The beginnings of St. Mary Major date to the Constantinian period. Originally it was called the Sicinini Basilica; it was the palace of a patrician family by that name before its transformation into a church by Pope Liberius. The story of its origin is legendary, dating from the Middle Ages. The Breviary gives this version: "Liberius was on the chair of Peter (352-366) when the Roman patrician John and his wife, who was of like nobility, vowed to bequeath their estate to the most holy Virgin and Mother of God, for they had no children to whom their property could go. The couple gave themselves to assiduous prayer, beseeching Mary to make known to them in some way what pious work they should subsidize in her honor.
"Mary answered their petition and confirmed her reply by means of the following miracle. On the fifth of August — a time when it is unbearably hot in the city of Rome — a portion of the Esquiline would be covered with snow during the night. During that same night the Mother of God directed John and his wife in separate dreams to build a church to be dedicated to the Virgin Mary on the site where they would see snow lying. For it was in this manner that she wanted her inheritance to be used.
"John immediately reported the whole matter to Pope Liberius, and he declared that a similar dream had come to him. Accompanied by clergy and people, Liberius proceeded on the following morning in solemn procession to the snow-covered hill and there marked off the area on which the church in Mary's honor was to be constructed."
Under Pope Sixtus III (432-440) the basilica was rebuilt, and upon the occasion of the definition of Mary's divine Motherhood by the Council of Ephesus, consecrated to her honor (432). He decorated the apse and walls with mosaics from the lives of Christ and His blessed Mother, which even to this day beautify the church and belong to the oldest we possess. As early as the end of the fourth century a replica of the Bethlehem nativity grotto had been added; on this account the edifice became known as "St. Mary of the Crib." To the Christian at Rome this church is Bethlehem. Other names for the basilica are: Liberian Basilica, because it dates to the time of Pope Liberius; St. Mary Major (being the largest church in Mary's honor in Rome); Our Lady of the Snow, because of the miracle that supposedly occasioned its erection.
We could point out how the divine Motherhood mystery dominates all Marian liturgy; for the Theotokos doctrine has kept Mariology Christo-centric in the Church's worship. Although recent popular devotion to Mary has become to a certain extent soft and sentimental and has, one may say, erected its own sanctuary around Mary as the center, devotion to our Blessed Mother in the liturgy has always remained oriented to Christ. In the liturgy the divine Motherhood has always been the bridge from Mary to Jesus. One need only examine Matins in honor of Mary or the Masses from her Common to be reassured. Everywhere Christ takes the central position, and Mary is the Christbearer.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
Things to Do:
Celebrate a successful FAMILY FIRE DRILL with plenty of cold drinks and a BAR-B-Q ... roasting marshmallows on a BON FIRE (if it is safe to do so in your area).
Create a MINIATURE BON FIRE in a large coffee can (1 kg size). Before building the fire, stabilize the can by pushing it into sand or dig a small pit (the size of the can). Arrange rocks around the can perimeter. Use small pieces of dry wood and scrunched up paper pushed between branches.
Drench the can with water when you are finished enjoying the MINIATURE BON FIRE (and all the marshmallows are gone!)
Used with permission. Write to ArmaDei@aol.com for more information about this great book. Treasure Chest is filled with unique ideas for activities, crafts and recipes to help families celebrate the various Seasons and Feast Days of the year.
St. Emygdius
Emygdius was born in Treves [Germany] of a noble Frank family. In his twenty-third year he embraced the faith of Christ in spite of opposition of his parents who were idolaters, and this faith he steadfastly professed. He lived with three disciples, Euplus, Germanus and Valentinus. He scorned human pleasures, and thus he applied himself the more entirely to divine things. Fired with a burning love of the neighbor, he journeyed to Rome in order to bring about the salvation to many souls, and he was there received as a guest, in the Island of the Tiber, where he cured, by baptism, the daughter of his host, who had been ill for five years of an incurable disease. A little later he opened the eyes of a blind man, in the presence of the people by the sign of the Cross. Thereupon the crowd, thinking that he was the son of Apollo, carried him off by force to the Temple of Aesculapius. he there declared himself the servant of Christ, and by calling upon Christ's name he restored to health a great number of sick persons, who were vainly beseeching the help of the idol. Emygdius tore down the altars, and having broken in pieces the statue of Aesculapius, he cast it into the Tiber. These acts, and the conversion of thirteen hundred of the heathen, which followed, together with that of the priests of Aesculapius, enraged Posthumius Titanus, the Prefect of City. Emygdius, by the counsel of an angel, escaped from his threats, and betook himself to the Pontiff, Saint Marcellus, by whom he was consecrated Bishop, and sent to Ascoli.
On his way thither Emygdius converted a multitude of persons to Christ by the many miracles which he wrought. The demons, whose wailing issued from the idols and filled the temples upon his arrival at Ascoli, declared a traveler to be the cause of their distress. The people were aroused, and sought to slay him, whereupon Polymius, the Governor, who was brought out by the tumult, called Emygdius to him, and in a long fruitless discourse he urged him to worship Jupiter and the goddess Angaria, the patroness of Ascoli. He even promised him as a reward the hand of his daughter Polisia, whom Emygdius converted to Christ and baptized on the spot. Her baptism was followed by that of sixteen hundred men, the Saint having drawn, by a miracle, an abundance of water from the rock. Thrown into fury by these events, Polymius cut off the head of the holy Bishop, whereupon the body, wonderful to relate, stood erect, and bearing in its hands the head which had been cast upon the ground, carried it to the Oratory, a distance of three hundred feet. it was removed thence to the principal church, where it is honored by the people of Ascoli, as well as by a multitude of people from other parts of [Italy]. The blessed death of Emygdius took place during the persecution of Diocletian.
Excerpted from Saints of Carmel - Proper Offices of the Saints Granted to the Barefoot Carmelites' 1896 edition, Carmelite Spirituality Blog
Patron: Against earthquakes.
St. Oswald
Forced to flee from Northumbria to Scotland when his father, Aethelfrith, was defeated and killed by Raedwald in 617, Oswald was converted to Christianity at Iona while he was in Scotland. When his uncle, King St. Edwin of Northumbria, was killed in battle against pagan King Penda of Mercia and Welsh King Cadwallon in 633, Oswald assembled an army and in 634 defeated a superior force under Cadwallon, who was killed in a battle near Hexham, and Oswald became King of Northumbria. He attributed his victory to a vision he had had of St. Columba promising him victory and to a huge cross he had erected the night before the battle. He brought St. Aidan to his kingdom to preach Christianity, gave him the island of Lindisfarne for his see, and acted as his interpreter. He built churches and monasteries, brought in monks from Scotland to bring his people back to Christianity, and was known for his personal piety and charity. He married Cyneburga, daughter of Cynegils, first Christian king of Wessex, and died a few years later, on August 5, while fighting against the superior forces of Penda at Maserfield. He was only thirty-seven at his death.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
Symbols: Scepter and crown; large wooden cross; ciborium; raven carrying ring or oil stock; letter and box of ointment; horn; silver dish; dove; sword; palm branch.
Often Portrayed As: king in crown, carrying sceptre and orb; king with palm-branch, and/or with his raven.
Things to Do:
The Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major
Come. (Matthew 14:29)
Today we read how Jesus invited Peter to take an extra large step of faith—and how Peter went for it! What do you think was going through Peter’s mind at this point? “What am I doing? Is this really safe? Hey, look! I’m on top of the water! This is amazing!” But then suddenly, the potential consequences of his actions became clear, and Peter began to sink. It’s a good thing Jesus was right there, ready to pick him up!
We can read this little story as a sort of three-step illustration of what it’s like to follow Jesus. First, like Peter, we have all experienced times when we felt Jesus inviting us to take a step of faith. In a rush of adrenaline, we go for it, and it all seems fine for a while. Then, step two kicks in, when we realize that we might be in over our heads and we begin to doubt. Maybe we misheard the Lord. Maybe we stepped left when we should have stepped right. Whatever the situation, our eyes are opened to the roiling sea beneath our feet. Next comes step three, when we call out to the Lord, frantically at times, and he comes to help us. The wind dies down, and all is calm again.
Stepping out might be difficult, but the hardest moment might actually be that breath we take between step two, when we see the wind and waves, and step three, when we decide to call out for help. It takes a certain degree of humility to do that. Many of us would rather try to work it out on our own than admit that we have reached our limits. It’s ironic, but we may even think that it shows a lack of faith to ask for God’s help!
Which phase of discipleship are you in right now? Are you getting ready to step out, or are you feeling overwhelmed on top of the water? Or maybe you’re feeling his hand lifting you up, and you’re ready to embrace the next challenge he has for you. No matter which phase you are in, the key is to take the next step. Wherever you are, know that the One who called you out of the boat will uphold your every step.
“Lord, help me to step out in faith today.”
Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22; Psalm 102:16-21, 29, 22-23
Matthew | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
Matthew 15 |
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1. | THEN came to him from Jerusalem scribes and Pharisees, saying: | Tunc accesserunt ad eum ab Jerosolymis scribæ et pharisæi, dicentes : | τοτε προσερχονται τω ιησου οι απο ιεροσολυμων γραμματεις και φαρισαιοι λεγοντες |
2. | Why do thy disciples trangress the tradition of the ancients? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. | Quare discipuli tui transgrediuntur traditionem seniorum ? non enim lavant manus suas cum panem manducant. | δια τι οι μαθηται σου παραβαινουσιν την παραδοσιν των πρεσβυτερων ου γαρ νιπτονται τας χειρας αυτων οταν αρτον εσθιωσιν |
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10. | And having called together the multitudes unto him, he said to them: Hear ye and understand. | Et convocatis ad se turbis, dixit eis : Audite, et intelligite. | και προσκαλεσαμενος τον οχλον ειπεν αυτοις ακουετε και συνιετε |
11. | Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man: but what cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. | Non quod intrat in os, coinquinat hominem : sed quod procedit ex ore, hoc coinquinat hominem. | ου το εισερχομενον εις το στομα κοινοι τον ανθρωπον αλλα το εκπορευομενον εκ του στοματος τουτο κοινοι τον ανθρωπον |
12. | Then came his disciples, and said to him: Dost thou know that the Pharisees, when they heard this word, were scandalized? | Tunc accedentes discipuli ejus, dixerunt ei : Scis quia pharisæi audito verbo hoc, scandalizati sunt ? | τοτε προσελθοντες οι μαθηται αυτου ειπον αυτω οιδας οτι οι φαρισαιοι ακουσαντες τον λογον εσκανδαλισθησαν |
13. | But he answering them, said: Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. | At ille respondens ait : Omnis plantatio, quam non plantavit Pater meus cælestis, eradicabitur. | ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν πασα φυτεια ην ουκ εφυτευσεν ο πατηρ μου ο ουρανιος εκριζωθησεται |
14. | Let them alone: they are blind, and leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit. | Sinite illos : cæci sunt, et duces cæcorum ; cæcus autem si cæco ducatum præstet, ambo in foveam cadunt. | αφετε αυτους οδηγοι εισιν τυφλοι τυφλων τυφλος δε τυφλον εαν οδηγη αμφοτεροι εις βοθυνον πεσουνται |
The Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major
Come. (Matthew 14:29)
Today we read how Jesus invited Peter to take an extra large step of faith—and how Peter went for it! What do you think was going through Peter’s mind at this point? “What am I doing? Is this really safe? Hey, look! I’m on top of the water! This is amazing!” But then suddenly, the potential consequences of his actions became clear, and Peter began to sink. It’s a good thing Jesus was right there, ready to pick him up!
We can read this little story as a sort of three-step illustration of what it’s like to follow Jesus. First, like Peter, we have all experienced times when we felt Jesus inviting us to take a step of faith. In a rush of adrenaline, we go for it, and it all seems fine for a while. Then, step two kicks in, when we realize that we might be in over our heads and we begin to doubt. Maybe we misheard the Lord. Maybe we stepped left when we should have stepped right. Whatever the situation, our eyes are opened to the roiling sea beneath our feet. Next comes step three, when we call out to the Lord, frantically at times, and he comes to help us. The wind dies down, and all is calm again.
Stepping out might be difficult, but the hardest moment might actually be that breath we take between step two, when we see the wind and waves, and step three, when we decide to call out for help. It takes a certain degree of humility to do that. Many of us would rather try to work it out on our own than admit that we have reached our limits. It’s ironic, but we may even think that it shows a lack of faith to ask for God’s help!
Which phase of discipleship are you in right now? Are you getting ready to step out, or are you feeling overwhelmed on top of the water? Or maybe you’re feeling his hand lifting you up, and you’re ready to embrace the next challenge he has for you. No matter which phase you are in, the key is to take the next step. Wherever you are, know that the One who called you out of the boat will uphold your every step.
“Lord, help me to step out in faith today.”
Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22; Psalm 102:16-21, 29, 22-23
Daily Marriage Tip for August 5, 2014:
Parents, share your love of music, sports, fishing with your children
but give them room to develop their own hobbies and interests too.
Follow the Wise, Not the Learned | ||
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August 5, 2014. Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
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Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14 Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash (their) hands when they eat a meal." He summoned the crowd and said to them, "Hear and understand. It is not what enters one´s mouth that defiles that person; but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one." Then his disciples approached and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?" He said in reply, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides (of the blind). If a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit." Introductory Prayer: Lord, give me knowledge of your ways so that I can love the path you have drawn out for me and have hope in every step along its way. I humble myself before you, because you continually show me that your ways are not our ways. I thank you, for this is where I find true happiness. Petition: Lord Jesus, teach me your ways. 1. Tradition and Traditions: Christ is telling us about the essentials. The Pharisees had amassed a great number of traditions. Many of these were made in good faith and helped man progress in virtue, but they missed the mark. They replaced a loving relationship with rituals. Let us get back to what is essential in our life with Christ. Do I give more importance to my customs and likes, rather than to what Christ asks of me through his Church? Am I missing the mark by putting more focus on the means to the end, rather than on the end itself – Christ? 2. The Interior Man: What comes out of a man’s mouth shows who he is; it shows what he values in his heart. Either we will hear words that are permeated with God’s love, or we will hear all types of vile and foul speech. We will see if a man is self-centered or centered on the needs of others. We will understand who sees himself as an instrument of God and who uses God as an instrument to his success. What is inside of man always comes out in his speech. 3. True Leadership: Man is to follow the wisdom of God. A person filled with wisdom knows how best to help another person attain his goal: unity with Christ. There are many types of plants (people) out there; we must follow those which have been sown with the wisdom of God. We need help discerning which plants come from our Lord. We can recognize them by their fruits, but still we may need a spiritual director to help us discern the movements of our own soul, so that we don’t fall in the blind man’s pit. Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, we live in a confusing world where people call the bad, “good” and the good, “bad”. Help me to discern so that I will always have your peace in my heart. Resolution: I will make a visit to our Lord in the Eucharist and ask for the gift of wisdom. |
August 5, 2014
“Truly, you are the Son of God!”
The Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D. proclaimed Mary as Mother of God. What this dogma means is that even if Jesus was conceived as an ordinary fetus like any other human being in the womb of a woman, the fact is He is the Son of God. Mary thus conceived in her womb God Himself. Imagine to have God growing as a fetus inside you. What an honor it must have been for Mary! That is why she exclaimed in the Magnificat that all generations shall call her blessed, she who was a mere mortal like all of us. Her honor is our honor if we allow Jesus, the Word of God, to grow in our hearts. When a Christian accepts God’s teachings and says Amen to them, he also conceives God within himself, though not physically as Mary did. For this we Christians revere Mary and highly esteem her for being the Mother of God and also because of how she lived a life of love and service. Let us recall how she, who was already conceiving Jesus, traveled to the hill country of Judea to take care of her cousin Elizabeth who was six months pregnant Mary’s being helpful was the reason Jesus performed his first miracle in the wedding at Cana. And when Jesus was already preaching, Mary followed Jesus wherever he went and listened to his teachings. Knowing Mary, she must have taken care of the needs of Jesus and his apostles, but remained in the background. For sure all the disciples of Jesus revered and loved her with a special love.
Let Mary be an example of how we are to love Jesus and follow in his footsteps.
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Heavenly Father, in Your love for us, protect against the wickedness of the devil, those helpless little ones to whom You have given the gift of life.
Touch with pity the hearts of those women pregnant in our world today who are not thinking of motherhood.
Help them to see that the child they carry is made in Your image - as well as theirs - made for eternal life.
Dispel their fear and selfishness and give them true womanly hearts to love their babies and give them birth and all the needed care that a mother can give.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen.
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