Feast Day: July 16

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Feast Day: July 16

Mount Carmel is a mountain overlooking the plain of Galilee. It became famous when the prophet Elijah, who lived many years before Jesus, was born. Chapter 18 of the Bible's First Book of Kings tells how Elijah stood up to the 450 prophets of the false god Baal. Through his prayers, God gave Elijah the power to perform a miracle to prove that Elijah's God was the true God. This happened on Mount Carmel.

Hundreds of years later, a group of European monks who had a special devotion to Mother Mary began to live on Mount Carmel. They were called friars of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. This was the start of the Carmelite order which was approved by Pope Honorius III. Simon Stock, an Englishman, became the superior of the Carmelites. He helped the order to grow following the example of the Dominicans and Franciscans.

When they began to suffer harassment for their faith, they turned to Mary for help. On July 16, 1251, Mary appeared to St. Simon and gave him the brown scapular. She promised her protection to all those who would wear the blessed habit. Many miracles proved her words. St. Pope Pius X said that people could have the same blessings if they would wear the scapular medal. This medal has a picture of Our Lady of the Scapular on one side and the Sacred Heart on the other. Simon Stock died in Bordeaux, France, in 1265.

Reflection: "Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart." (Luke 2:19)

Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 11
28.	Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you.	Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis, et onerati estis, et ego reficiam vos.	δευτε προς με παντες οι κοπιωντες και πεφορτισμενοι καγω αναπαυσω υμας
29.	Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls.	Tollite jugum meum super vos, et discite a me, quia mitis sum, et humilis corde : et invenietis requiem animabus vestris.	αρατε τον ζυγον μου εφ υμας και μαθετε απ εμου οτι πραος ειμι και ταπεινος τη καρδια και ευρησετε αναπαυσιν ταις ψυχαις υμων
30.	For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.	Jugum enim meum suave est, et onus meum leve.	ο γαρ ζυγος μου χρηστος και το φορτιον μου ελαφρον εστιν

28. Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest to your souls.
30. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

CHRYS; By what He had said, He brought His disciples to have a desire towards Him, showing them His unspeakable excellence; and now He invites them to Him, saying, Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden.

AUG; Whence do we all thus labor, but that we are mortal men, bearing vessels of clay which cause us much difficulty. But if the vessels of flesh are straitened, the regions of love will be enlarged. To what end then does He say, Come to me, all you who labor, but that you should not labor?

HILARY; He calls to Him those that were laboring under the hardships of the Law, and those who are burdened with the sins of this world.

JEROME; That the burden of sin is heavy, the Prophet Zachariah bears witness, saying, that wickedness sits upon a talent of lead. And the Psalmist fills it up, your iniquities are grown heavy upon me.

GREG; For a cruel yoke and hard weight of servitude it is to be subject to the things of time, to be ambitious of the things of earth, to cling to falling things, to seek to stand in things that stand not, to desire things that pass away, but to be unwilling to pass away with them. For while all things fly away against our wish, those things which had first harassed the mind in desire of gaining them, now oppress it with fear of losing them.

CHRYS; He said not, Come you, this man and that man, but all whosoever are in trouble, in sorrow, or in sin, not that I may exact punishment of you, but that I may remit your sins. Come you, not that I have need of your glory, but that I seek your salvation. And I will refresh you. Not, I will save you, only; but that is much greater, I will then refresh you, that is, I will set you in all quietness.

RABAN; I will not only take from you your burden, but will satisfy you with inward refreshment.

REMIG; Come, He says not with the feet, but with the life, not in the body, but in faith. For that is a spiritual approach by which any man approaches God; and therefore it follows, Take my yoke upon you.

RABAN; The yoke of Christ is Christ's Gospel which joins and yokes together Jews and Gentiles in the unity of the faith. This we are commanded to take upon us that is, to have in honor; lest perchance setting it beneath us, that is wrongly despising it, we should trample upon it with the miry feet of unholiness; wherefore He adds, learn of me.

AUG; Not to create a world, or to do miracles in that world; but that I am meek and lowly in heart. Would you be great? Begin with the least. Would you build up a mighty fabric of greatness? First think of the foundation of humility; for the mightier building any seek to raise, the deeper let him dig for his foundation. Whither is the summit of our building to rise? To the sight of God.

RABAN; We must learn then from our Savior to be meek in temper, and lowly in mind; let us hurt none, let us despise none, and the virtues which we have strewn in deed let us retain in our heart.

CHRYS; And therefore in beginning the Divine Law He begins with humility, and sets before us a great reward, saying, And you shall find rest for your souls. This is the highest reward, you shall not only be made useful to others, but shall make yourself to have peace; and He gives you the promise of it before it comes, but when it is come, you shall rejoice in perpetual rest. And that they might not be afraid because He had spoken of a burden, therefore He adds, For my yoke is pleasant, and my burden light.

HILARY; He holds forth the inducements of a pleasant yoke, and a light burden, that to them that believe He may afford the knowledge of that good which He alone knows in the Father.

GREG; What burden is it to put upon the neck of our mind that He bids us shun all desire that disturbs, and turn from the toilsome paths of this world?

HILARY; And what is more pleasant than that yoke, what lighter than that burden? To be made better, to abstain from wickedness, to choose the good, and refuse the evil, to love all men, to hate none, to gain eternal things, not to be taken with things present, to be unwilling to do that to another which yourself would be pained to suffer.

RABAN; But how is Christ's yoke pleasant, seeing it was said man above, Narrow is the way which leads to life? That which yoke is entered upon by a narrow entrance is in process of time made broad by the unspeakable sweetness of love.

AUG; So then the they who with an unfearing neck have submitted to the yoke of the Lord endure such hardships and dangers, that they seem beneath to be called not from labor to rest, but from rest to labor. But the Holy Spirit was there who, as the outward man decayed, renewed the inward man day by day, and giving a foretaste of spiritual rest in the rich pleasures of God in the hope of blessedness to come, smoothed all that seemed rough, lightened all that was heavy. Men suffer amputations and burning, that at the price of sharper pain they may be delivered from torments less but more lasting, as boils or swellings. What storms and dangers will not merchants undergo that they may acquire perishing riches? Even those who love not riches endure the same hardships; but those that love them endure the same, but to them they are not hardships. For love makes right easy, and almost nothing all things however dreadful and monstrous. How much more easily then does love do that for true happiness, which avarice does for misery as far as it can?

JEROME; And how is the Gospel lighter than the Law, seeing in the Law murder and adultery, but under the Gospel anger and concupiscence also, are punished? Because by the Law many things are commanded which the Apostle fully teaches us cannot be fulfilled; by the Law works are required, by the Gospel the will is sought for, which even if it goes not into act, yet does not lose its reward. The Gospel commands what we can do, as that we lust not; this is in our own power; the Law punishes not the will but the act, as adultery Suppose a virgin to have been violated in time of persecution, as here was not the will she is held as a virgin under the Gospel; under the Law she is cast out as defiled.

Catena Aurea Matthew 11

Christ Carrying the Cross

Vincenzo Catena

1520s
Oil on panel, 47 x 38 cm
Liechtenstein Museum, Vienna

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Thursday, July 16

Liturgical Color: Green

Blessed Anicet Koplinski, one of the 108
Polish Martyrs of WWII, died on this day
in 1941. Mostly priests and religious, they
were killed in Nazi death camps because
of their Catholic faith.

Day 197 - The Parable of the Lost Sheep // The Parable of the Lost Coin

Today’s Reading: Luke 15:1-10
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were 2 all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Today’s Commentary:
The parable of the Lost Sheep. In a pastoral culture every sheep of one’s flock was valuable, and shepherds would naturally rejoice when a stray was recovered (15:6). Jesus is the shepherd who restores us to friendship with God (Jn 10:1-10).

Yahweh is depicted as a shepherd in the OT (Ps 23:1; Is 40:11), as is the Messiah (Mic 5:4; Zech 13:7). Ezekiel brings these two traditions together, promising that God himself will seek the scattered flock of his people (Ezek 34:11- 16) and send the Davidic Messiah to shepherd them (Ezek 34:22-24).

Allegorically: Jesus is the shepherd who recovers the lost sheep of man- kind. Hoisting it upon his shoulders signifies how he takes upon himself both the nature of man and the heavy burden of man’s sins.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: July 16th

Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Daily Readings for: July 16, 2015
(Readings on USCCB website)

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

RECIPES

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

LIBRARY

Old Calendar: Commemoration of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel ; Other Titles: Our Lady of Carmine

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

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

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

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

Things to Do:

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

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

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

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

The imposition of the Scapular should be celebrated with "the seriousness of its origins. It should not be improvised. The Scapular should be imposed following a period of preparation during which the faithful are made aware of the nature and ends of the association they are about to join and of the obligations they assume."
Pope John Paul II has worn the scapular for a long time. The Holy Father's talk on the Scapular of Carmel, A Treasure for the Church mentions:
Therefore two truths are evoked by the sign of the Scapular: on the one hand, the constant protection of the Blessed Virgin, not only on life's journey, but also at the moment of passing into the fullness of eternal glory; on the other, the awareness that devotion to her cannot be limited to prayers and tributes in her honor on certain occasions, but must become a "habit", that is, a permanent orientation of one's own Christian conduct, woven of prayer and interior life, through frequent reception of the sacraments and the concrete practice of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. In this way the Scapular becomes a sign of the "covenant" and reciprocal communion between Mary and the faithful: indeed, it concretely translates the gift of his Mother, which Jesus gave on the Cross to John and, through him, to all of us, and the entrustment of the beloved Apostle and of us to her, who became our spiritual Mother.
For the definitive treatment on the brown scapular, read The Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: Catechesis and Ritual.
The Blessed Virgin's scapular should remind us that Christians have an apostolate against current extremes and extravagances in modes of dress. Clothes are a symbol of the person. Like the Christian heart, dress must be chaste and simple, for one judges the interior from the exterior. It should not be necessary to add that special attention be given this matter when preparing for church attendance. Examine yourself on how well you reflect Christian modesty in your dress and if you are a parent, how well you ensure that your children are modestly dressed.
In New York City in East Harlem is one of the oldest festivals in America for Our Lady of Mount Carmel. See Our Lady of Mount Carmel Shrine of East Harlem – since 1881. Every year in Brooklyn, NY, is held the Festival of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Paulinus of Nola (Festa Del Giglio). It is unique to see a scene that one would expect in Europe unfolding on the street of a major East coast city. You can view a You Tube clip right here. Also look around your area for Italian parishes, maybe one named after Our Lady of Mount Carmel? Many times the parish will host wonderful festivals in her honor.
Watch this You Tube video to learn more about devotion to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
From the Catholic Culture library, the Scapular Devotion, a description of Different Kinds of Scapulars, The Brown Scapular and information on the Scapular Medal.
Learn more about St. Simon Stock and the Brown Scapular.

Most of the links work, for those that do not, however, go to the Catholic Culture link at the top.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Exodus 3:13-20

Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Optional Memorial)

The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. (Exodus 3:15)

When you want to stand a few books on a shelf, you use bookends to keep them from toppling over to either side. Well, today’s first reading and Gospel are kind of like bookends for our life in Christ. We need both of them to keep us secure and safe.

The first bookend is the way God introduced himself to Moses, by telling him, “I am” (Exodus 3:14). Essentially, he said that he is life itself, embracing and surrounding all creation. As the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he is reminding Moses of all that he has done in gathering them together, giving them an identity as his people, and rescuing them from their enemies. This is a powerful, all-encompassing God who deserves to be worshipped and revered!

The second bookend is the Gospel reading. In it, Jesus, who is God made flesh, invites us to come to him so that he can comfort us and lift our burdens. But why would we go to him and not some other god? Because the first bookend tells us just how powerful he is. Jesus is the “I am,” the Alpha and Omega, the One who holds all things together.

Here is the wonder of the gospel message. God is complete in himself, and yet he longs for us to be with him. He is all powerful, yet he became a helpless baby in order to redeem us. He who put the stars in the heavens hears our prayers and comes running to help us.

In the end, we need both bookends. If we focus only on today’s Gospel, we’ll turn God into an overly indulgent parent who spoils his children. But if we focus only on the first reading, we’ll turn him into a remote creator who holds our obedience only because we fear his power. But God wants us to follow him because he loves us, not because we fear him. He wants us to come to him for comfort so that once we are strengthened, we can go out into the world and tell everyone else how awesome and powerful he is.

It is here, between the bookends, that we’ll find true rest for our souls.

“Father, you are mighty and merciful. Help me to see you more clearly.”

Psalm 105:1, 5, 8-9, 24-27
Matthew 11:28-30

Marriage = One Man amd One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for July 16, 2015:

Happiness tip #3: Simplicity can be very satisfying, especially when a couple has goals of service that they explore together. It doesn’t mean you never splurge, but rather these “things” are not the ultimate source of joy in your relationship.

Regnum Christi

Weary of Heart

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

July 16, 2015. Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

By Father Shawn Aaron, LC

Matthew 11: 28-30

Jesus said: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light."

Introductory Prayer: Almighty and ever-living God, I seek new strength from the courage of Christ our shepherd. I believe in you, I hope in you, and I seek to love you with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength. I want to be led one day to join the saints in heaven, where your Son Jesus Christ lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

Petition: Lord Jesus, meek and humble of heart, help me to take on your yoke.

1. Come to Me: If you struggle daily to do what is morally right even when those around you take shortcuts, then come to Jesus. If the life of selfish pleasure and illicit gain seems exceedingly attractive, then come to Jesus. If you are burdened with your patterns of sin and weaknesses of character that affect your vocation as a spouse, a parent, a friend, a consecrated soul, a Christian…, then come to Jesus. If life seems unfair and God seems distant at best, then come to Jesus. He calls us not to a set of principles and noble ideals, but to his very person. We do not follow rules for the sake of rules; we follow Jesus. Only when we have first come to him will we understand the need for the rules which simply help protect the dignity of this relationship.

2. Learn from Me: St. Paul admonishes the Galatians to live in the freedom of Christ: "For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1). Yet in his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul invites us to be "slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart" (6:5). To be a slave means that I submit to the will of another or am subordinated (unwillingly) to one stronger than I in some way. One who is a slave of passion, vanity, selfishness or any other vice is subject to that vice as something more powerful than oneself. But Jesus calls us friends and not slaves (cf. John 15:14-15). So to be a "slave" of Christ means to entrust my life to him freely with the intention of following where he leads. Experience shows that he always guides us down the path that leads to our happiness and fulfillment, even when it entails the cross.

3. Rest for Yourselves: These words mean “rest,” not in the sense of cessation from work and struggle, but in the sense of peace of soul, joy and profound happiness. This is the rest that we all long for, the rest that will one day be uninterrupted in the bliss of heaven. We have each met individuals who experience this peace and joy despite their circumstances. Notice that Jesus does not promise to take away the burdens, the trials, the sufferings. But if we take his yoke upon ourselves, if we submit to his plan, his will, his love, he guarantees the joy. If you have never experienced it, then begin today; give him what you know in your heart he is asking of you. Although it may hurt at first, as does every yoke, this one brings the lightness of peace and the ease of joy.

Conversation with Christ: Blessed Lord, you lead me towards everlasting peace if I will simply follow, but following does not always seem simple. Give me the very things you ask of me: faith, generosity, courage, trust, love. With these gifts and your grace I will have the strength necessary for the journey.

Resolution: Today I will pray an extra decade of the rosary for the persons who are farthest away from Jesus.

Homily of the Day

July 16, 2015

In the first reading, we see the majesty of God revealing himself to Moses in the burning bush, “I Am Who Am.” He reminds Moses of his past dealings with Israel through their fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Through Moses he will perform many great deeds for them to free them from the slavery of Pharaoh in Egypt and to bring them to the promised land. In their long journey to the promised land God will establish a covenant with them in the Ten Commandments. I Am Who Am, the all powerful Creator God, will do great deeds for Israel. He is also the God who saves and also punishes.

In the short Gospel reading we see another face of God in his Son Jesus Christ: “Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is good and my burden is light.”

We see Jesus inviting his followers to come to him for rest, peace and re-assurance. We see Jesus telling us that, with him and his grace, our burdens will be light and bearable because we do not bear them by ourselves, but with Christ and his help.

I Am Who Am, before whom Moses stood in amazement and fear at the burning bush revelation, invites each one of us to the loving heart of Jesus, who is gentle and humble of heart, to ease our burdens and to give us quiet and rest.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 31, Issue 4

<< Thursday, July 16, 2015 >>

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Exodus 3:13-20
View Readings

Psalm 105:1, 5, 8-9, 24-27

Matthew 11:28-30
Similar Reflections

THE "REST" OF THE STORY

"Your souls will find rest." —Matthew 11:29

We disciples labor under the yoke of Jesus (Mt 11:30; Lk 9:23). Jesus therefore calls us to rest in Him (Mt 11:29), yet even that demands effort on our part. Each day we have to "strive to enter into that rest" (Heb 4:11). Mysteriously, disciples often rest better when they are most diligent.

There's a balance to entering Jesus' rest. We can't strive too hard, for our efforts alone are futile (Is 26:17-18). We must let God's rest be done unto us (Lk 1:38). We yield to His grace, but avoid laziness, since we must cooperate with God's grace by accepting Jesus' yoke and bearing His burden (Mt 11:30).

Jesus Himself had no place to rest His head (Lk 9:58). This probably refers to more than a bed. Jesus also had no place to Himself. His "place" was constant interruptions, a lack of privacy, a life on the move, etc. Like Jesus, we embrace our cross of fatigue and weariness. Amid our fatigue, we have a fountain of life and rest which never runs dry. That "rest" is not found by those who take shortcuts or evade the cross. It's found by those who keep walking the path of Calvary, push through the cross, and discover that, in the place where He was crucified, there is a garden (Jn 19:41). In that garden, found only at the foot of the cross, is found the "rest" and the strength to endure.

St. Augustine said: "Our hearts are restless, O Lord, until they rest in Thee." "Come to" Jesus (Mt 11:28). Enter into His rest.

Prayer: Jesus, help me not to rest when I should be serving You (Mt 26:43-45) or to work when I should be resting in You (Ps 127:2; Ex 31:15). Only in You "is my soul at rest" (Ps 62:1).

Promise: "My yoke is easy and My burden light." —Mt 11:30

Praise: Teresa, a Carmelite, prays the divine office each day on the bus as she commutes to work.

Prayer at an Abortion Chamber

Father, I come to this place as to a new Calvary,
I wish to stand here with Mary
and those others who stood by the cross of Jesus
the day he sacrificed himself for us sinners.

I firmly believe the sorrowful scene before my eyes
is nothing less than a reenactment of Jesus’ suffering and death,
already anticipated in the massacre of the Innocents of Bethlehem
and repeated in the slaughter of the least of his brethren,
the tiny children brought here today to be slain.

Father, I realize I cannot stop the killing of most of these children,
any more than Mary could have stopped the slaying of her Child that fatal day.
But in faith I unite my heart with hers
and humbly adore YOUR Divine purpose in allowing such bloodshed.

I offer You the blood of Jesus,
and, mingled with it,
the blood of these little ones,
for their own salvation and for that of their parents,
the abortionist, and our whole generation.
Remember Jesus’ own prayer from the cross
with its echo in Mary’s heart:
“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

But perhaps the hour has not come for some of them.
Once you told Joseph to take the Child and his mother
far from those seeking the Child’s life.
I offer myself to you, as St. Joseph’s helper,
ready to do everything I can for my beloved Jesus and Mary
in the person of the child and mother you entrust to my care.

Dear Father, accept my prayer in the name of Jesus.

Amen.