Reading 1 1 Cor 6:1-11

Brothers and sisters:
How can any one of you with a case against another
dare to bring it to the unjust for judgment
instead of to the holy ones?
Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world?
If the world is to be judged by you,
are you unqualified for the lowest law courts?
Do you not know that we will judge angels?
Then why not everyday matters?
If, therefore, you have courts for everyday matters,
do you seat as judges people of no standing in the Church?
I say this to shame you.
Can it be that there is not one among you wise enough
to be able to settle a case between brothers?
But rather brother goes to court against brother,
and that before unbelievers?

Now indeed then it is, in any case,
a failure on your part that you have lawsuits against one another.
Why not rather put up with injustice?
Why not rather let yourselves be cheated?
Instead, you inflict injustice and cheat, and this to brothers.
Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the Kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived;
neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers
nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves
nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers
will inherit the Kingdom of God.
That is what some of you used to be;
but now you have had yourselves washed, you were sanctified,
you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
and in the Spirit of our God.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

R. (see 4) The Lord takes delight in his people.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.

Alleluia See Jn 15:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
that you may go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 6:12-19

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.
A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.
Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him
because power came forth from him and healed them all.

From: 1 Corinthians 6:1-11

Recourse to Pagan Courts

[1] When one of you has a grievance against a brother, does he dare go to law
before the unrighteous instead of the saints? [2] Do you not know that the saints
will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent
to try trivial cases? [3] Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much
more, matters pertaining to this life! [4] If then you have such cases, why do you
lay them before those who are least esteemed by the church? [5] I say this to
your shame. Can it be that there is no man among you wise enough to decide
between members of the brotherhood, [6] but brother goes to law against brother,
and that before unbelievers?

[7] To have lawsuits at all with one another is defeat for you. Why not rather suf-
fer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? [8] But you yourselves wrong and de-
fraud, and that even your own brethren.

[9] Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homo-
sexuals, [10] nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers
will inherit the kingdom of God. [11] And such were some of you. But you were
washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

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Commentary:

1-6. As usually happens in his letters, in the course of dealing with some more
or less important event in the Christian community, the Apostle moves on to a
much higher plane, and from there focuses light onto the particular problem.

In this case, the scandal is that Christians are involved in lawsuits against one
another (v. 7) and are bringing these cases before pagan courts instead of trying
to settle them within the sphere of the Church; Paul, as we can see, is quite
incensed: “How dare any of your members...”

Through Baptism, Christians are become holy, justified; that is, they have ob-
tained a share in the life and virtues of Christ and are called to follow his example.
Furthermore, like the Apostles (cf. Mt 19:28; Lk 22:30), Christians will judge men
and angels on the Last Day. They are, therefore, instruments of and witnesses to
divine justice. So, they really should not go to law against each other; and if they
do have grievances the Christian community itself should provide people who are
equipped to act as arbitrators and have the grace of state to solve the problems
that arise. St Paul is not down-playing civil authority and its autonomy, for all au-
thority comes from God (Rom 13:1-5); he himself submitted to Roman tribunals,
and he even appealed to Caesar (cf. Acts 25:11-12). The specific advice he gives
here — that Christians should not bring cases before pagan court — ties in with
Jewish practice. Primarily, the Apostle is recommending to Christians to practice
fraternity and solve disagreements without going to pagan courts.

Moreover, going to law would be a great disservice to the Gospel: what attraction
could a community hold which was divided within itself? [7] It is this grave scan-
dal that he particularly wants to avoid.

3. The only Judge of the living and the dead, of angels and men, is Jesus Christ.
Christians are so intimately linked to Christ that St Paul sees no objections to
attributing the actions of the head to all the members. Therefore, he does not at-
tempt to speculate on the particular form the Last Judgment will take — whether,
for example, men will judge angels or at least the fallen angels. His aim here
may be simply to emphasize the intimate union of the Christian with Christ,
which ought to be reflected in just dealings with one another.

7-8. This is the reason why St Paul is so hard on the Corinthians. They have
failed to understand and to apply what our Lord said in the Sermon on the Mount
about bearing injuries (Mt 5:39-42). Worse still, they have gone to law against
each other in contravention of the standard set by those early Christians, who
had one heart and soul (cf. Acts 4:32). And they have tried to solve their disa-
greements in pagan courts which know nothing of Christian brotherhood. St John
Chrysostom points out the transgressions the Corinthians are guilty of: “For one
thing, not bearing injuries patiently; for another, offending others; then looking for
arbitrators to decide on the matter, finally, using this procedure in a dispute with
a Christian, a brother in the faith” (”Hom. on 1 Cor, ad loc.”).

St Paul’s advice about money can usefully be read in the light of Romans 12:
17-21: this shows us that he is not saying that a passive and weak attitude to
difficulties is the right one: difficulties should be faced and an effort made to do
positive good, at all times, to everyone.

“Let us especially resolve not to judge others, not to doubt their good will, to
drown evil in an abundance of good, sowing loyal friendship, justice and peace
all around us. And let us resolve never to become sad if our upright conduct is
misunderstood by others; if the good which, with the continuous help of our Lord,
we try to accomplish is misinterpreted by people who delight in unjustly guessing
at our motives and who accuse us of wicked designs and deceitful behavior. Let
us forgive always, with a smile on our lips. Let us speak clearly, without hard fee-
lings, when in conscience we think we ought to speak. And let us leave every-
thing in the hands of our Father God, with a divine silence — Jesus was silent’
(Mt 26:63 — if we are confronted with personal attacks, no matter how brutal and
shameful they might be. Let us concern ourselves only with doing good deeds:
God will see to it that they shine before men (Mt 5:16)” (”Christ Is Passing By”,
72).

9-10. In this list of sins, similar to that given in the previous chapter (cf. 1 Cor
5:10-11), St Paul explicitly teaches that those who commit these sins will not
inherit the Kingdom, that is, will not attain eternal salvation. The whole list is a
kind of explanation of what “unrighteousness” means. Thus, not only those go
against righteousness who wrongly go to law or defraud others: righteousness,
justice, in the language of the Bible is equivalent to holiness and therefore is op-
posed to every kind of sin.

“Do not be deceived”: the Greek can also be translated as “Do not let yourselves
be deceived” (cf. Eph 5 :5-6). Certainly, to make out that such actions are good
is worse than to commit them. And yet in Corinth, and in other places at other
times, there have been and are false ideologies which interpret sinfulness as vir-
tue. To combat tendencies that seek to tone down or deny the reality of grave
sin, the Church points out that “a person sins mortally not only when his action
comes from direct contempt for love of God and neighbor, but also when he con-
sciously and freely, for whatever reason, chooses something which is seriously
disordered [...]. Pastors of souls must exercise patience and generosity; but
they are not allowed to render God’s commandments null, nor to reduce unrea-
sonably people’s responsibility” (SCDF, “Declaration Concerning Sexual Ethics”,
10). Like Christ, pastors should be uncompromising with evil and merciful to evil-
doers.

11. This reminder about the dignity of Christians brings to an end this series of
warnings. It reminds the Corinthians of their Baptism, its effects and their need
to return to their initial holiness.

These last words clearly contain a reference to the Trinitarian formula used at Bap-
tism (cf. Mt 28:19). The inclusion of the name of the three persons of the Blessed
Trinity implies an act of faith in God, One and Three, and recognition that grace
and justification are given us by the Father, have been merited by his Son Jesus
Christ, and are applied to us through the action of the Holy Spirit.

Three words sum up the effects of Baptism—”washed”, “sanctified”, and “justified”
(cf. Acts 22:16; Eph 5:16; Tit 3:5); in addition to erasing original sin, and any per-
sonal sin, Baptism gives us sanctifying grace and the infused virtues: “The follo-
wers of Christ, called by God not in virtue of their works but by his design and
grace, and justified in the Lord Jesus, have been made sons of God in baptism,
the sacrament of faith, and partakers of the divine nature, and so are truly sanc-
tified. They must therefore hold on to and perfect in their lives that sanctification
which they have received from God” (”Lumen Gentium”, 40).

Reminding them of baptismal innocence, St Paul encourages the Corinthians to
return to that state by a new conversion. After Baptism, the sacrament of Pe-
nance received with the right dispositions restores sanctifying grace and is, more-
over, a means Christ chooses to conserve men in grace and bring them growth in
grace: “The sacrament of Penance contributes [much] to the development of the
Christian life” (Vatican II, “Christus Dominus”, 30).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Luke 6:12-19

The Calling of the Apostles

[12] In these days He (Jesus) went out into the hills to pray; and all night He con-
tinued in prayer to God. [13] And when it was day, He called His disciples, and
chose from them twelve, whom He named Apostles: [14] Simon, whom He named
Peter, and Andrew, his brother, and James and John, and Philip and Bartholomew,
[15] and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who
was called the Zealot, [16] and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who
became a traitor.

The Sermon on the Mount

[17] And He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd
of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and
the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and to be healed of their
diseases; [18] and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. [19]
And all the crowd sought to touch Him, for power came forth from Him and healed
them all.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

12-13. The evangelist writes with a certain formality when describing this impor-
tant occasion on which Jesus chooses the Twelve, constituting them as the apo-
stolic college: “The Lord Jesus, having prayed at length to the Father, called to
Himself those whom He willed and appointed twelve to be with Him, whom He
might send to preach the Kingdom of God (cf. Mark 2:13-19; Matthew 10:1-42).
These Apostles (cf. Luke 6:13) He constituted in the form of a college or perma-
nent assembly, at the head of which He placed Peter, chosen from among them
(cf. John 21:15-17). He sent them first of all to the children of Israel and then to
all peoples (cf. Romans 1:16), so that, sharing in His power, they might make all
peoples His disciples and sanctify and govern them (cf. Matthew 28: 16-20; and
par.) and thus spread the Church and, administering it under the guidance of the
Lord, shepherd it all days until the end of the world (cf. Matthew 28:20). They
were fully confirmed in this mission on the day of Pentecost (cf. Act 2:1-26) [...].
Through their preaching the Gospel everywhere (cf. Mark 16:20), and through its
being welcomed and received under the influence of the Holy Spirit by those
who hear it, the Apostles gather together the universal Church, which the Lord
founded upon the Apostles and built upon Blessed Peter their leader, the chief
cornerstone being Christ Jesus Himself (cf. Revelation 21:14; Matthew 16:18;
Ephesians 2:20). That divine mission, which was committed by Christ to the
Apostles, is destined to last until the end of the world (cf. Matthew 28:20), since
the Gospel, which they were charged to hand on, is, for the Church, the principle
of all its life for all time. For that very reason the Apostles were careful to appoint
successors in this hierarchically constituted society” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gen-
tium”, 19-20).

Before establishing the apostolic college, Jesus spent the whole night in prayer.
He often made special prayer for His Church (Luke 9:18; John 17:1ff), thereby pre-
paring His Apostles to be its pillars (cf. Galatians 2:9). As His Passion approa-
ches, He will pray to the Father for Simon Peter, the head of the Church, and so-
lemnly tell Peter that He has done so: “But I have prayed for you that your faith
may not fail” (Luke 22:32). Following Christ’s example, the Church stipulates that
on many occasions liturgical prayer should be offered for the pastors of the
Church (the Pope, the bishops in general, and priests) asking God to give them
grace to fulfill their ministry faithfully.

Christ is continually teaching us that we need to pray always (Luke 18:1). Here
He shows us by His example that we should pray with special intensity at impor-
tant moments in our lives. “’Pernoctans in oratione Dei. He spent the whole night
in prayer to God.’ So St. Luke tells of our Lord. And you? How often have you
persevered like that? Well, then....” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 104).

On the need for prayer and the qualities our prayer should have, see the notes
on Matthew 6:5-6; 7:7-11; 14:22-23; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; 11:1-4; 22:41-42.

12. Since Jesus is God, why does He pray? There were two wills in Christ, one
divine and one human (cf. “St. Pius X Catechism”, 91), and although by virtue of
His divine will He was omnipotent, His human will was not omnipotent. When we
pray, what we do is make our will known to God; therefore Christ, who is like us
in all things but sin (Hebrews 4:15), also had to pray in a human way (cf. “Sum-
ma Theologiae”, III, q. 21, a. 1). Reflecting on Jesus at prayer, St. Ambrose com-
ments: “The Lord prays not to ask things for Himself, but to intercede on my be-
half; for although the Father has put everything into the hands of the Son, still
the Son, in order to behave in accordance with His condition as man, considers
it appropriate to implore the Father for our sake, for He is our Advocate [...]. A
Master of obedience, by His example He instructs us concerning the precepts
of virtue: ‘We have an advocate with the Father’ (1 John 2:1)” (”Expositio Evan-
gelii sec. Lucam, in loc.”).

14-16. Jesus chose for Apostles very ordinary people, most of them poor and un-
educated; apparently only Matthew and the brothers James and John had social
positions of any consequence. But all of them gave up whatever they had, little or
much as it was, and all of them, bar Judas, put their faith in the Lord, overcame
their shortcomings and eventually proved faithful to grace and became saints, ve-
ritable pillars of the Church. We should not feel uneasy when we realize that we
too are low in human qualities; what matters is being faithful to the grace God
gives us.

19. God became man to save us. The divine person of the Word acts through
the human nature which He took on. The cures and casting out of devils which
He performed during His life on earth are also proof that Christ actually brings
redemption and not just hope of redemption. The crowds of people from Judea
and other parts of Israel who flock to Him, seeking even to touch Him, anticipate,
in a way, Christians’ devotion to the holy Humanity of Christ.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading
1 Corinthians 6:1-11 ©

How dare one of your members take up a complaint against another in the law courts of the unjust instead of before the saints? As you know, it is the saints who are to ‘judge the world’; and if the world is to be judged by you, how can you be unfit to judge trifling cases? Since we are also to judge angels, it follows that we can judge matters of everyday life; but when you have had cases of that kind, the people you appointed to try them were not even respected in the Church. You should be ashamed: is there really not one reliable man among you to settle differences between brothers and so one brother brings a court case against another in front of unbelievers? It is bad enough for you to have lawsuits at all against one another: oughtn’t you to let yourselves be wronged, and let yourselves be cheated? But you are doing the wronging and the cheating, and to your own brothers.

You know perfectly well that people who do wrong will not inherit the kingdom of God: people of immoral lives, idolaters, adulterers, catamites, sodomites, thieves, usurers, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers will never inherit the kingdom of God. These are the sort of people some of you were once, but now you have been washed clean, and sanctified, and justified through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and through the Spirit of our God.

Responsorial Psalm	Psalm 149:1-6,9 ©

The Lord takes delight in his people.

Alleluia!

Sing a new song to the Lord,

his praise in the assembly of the faithful.

Let Israel rejoice in its Maker,

let Zion’s sons exult in their king.

The Lord takes delight in his people.

Alleluia!

Let them praise his name with dancing

and make music with timbrel and harp.

For the Lord takes delight in his people.

He crowns the poor with salvation.

The Lord takes delight in his people.

Alleluia!

Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,

shout for joy and take their rest.

Let the praise of God be on their lips:

this honour is for all his faithful.

The Lord takes delight in his people.

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation	Ph2:15-16

Alleluia, alleluia!

You will shine in the world like bright stars

because you are offering it the word of life.

Alleluia!

Or	cf.Jn15:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

I chose you from the world

to go out and bear fruit,

fruit that will last,

says the Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel	Luke 6:12-19 ©

Jesus went out into the hills to pray; and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them; he called them ‘apostles’: Simon whom he called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor.

He then came down with them and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon who had come to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. People tormented by unclean spirits were also cured, and everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all.

Jesus, High Priest

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Sorrowful Mysteries

(Tuesdays and Fridays)

1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God's will be done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in our heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient bearing of trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]

Our Blessed Lady's Sorrows

Sea of Sorrow

Oh! on what a sea of sorrow
Was the Virgin-Mother cast,
When her eyes with tears o'erflowing
Gazed upon her Son aghast,
From the bloodstained gibbet taken,
Dying in her arms at last.

In her bitter desolation,
His sweet mouth, His bosom too,
Then His riven side beloved,
Then each hand, both wounded through,
Then His feet, with blood encrimsoned,
Her maternal tears bedew.

She, a hundred times and over,
Strains Him closely to her breast
Heart to Heart, arms arms enfolding,
Are His wounds on her impressed:
Thus, in sorrow's very kisses,
Melts her anguished soul to rest.

Oh, dear Mother! we beseech thee,
By the tears thine eyes have shed,
By the cruel death of Jesus
And His wounds' right royal red,
Make our hearts o'erflow with sorrow
From thy heart's deep fountainhead.

To the Father, Son, and Spirit,
Now we bend on equal knee:
Glory, sempiternal glory,
To the Most High Trinity;
Yea! perpetual praise and honor
Now and through all ages be.

Novena Prayer To Our Sorrowful Mother

Most Blessed and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who didst stand generously beneath the cross, beholding the agony of thy dying Son; by the sword of sorrow which then pierced thy soul, by the sufferings of thy sorrowful life, by the unutterable joy which now more than repays thee for them; look down with a mother's pity and tenderness, as I kneel before thee to compassionate thy sorrows, and to lay my petition with childlike confidence in thy wounded heart. I beg of thee, O my Mother, to plead continually for me with thy Son, since He can refuse thee nothing, and through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with thy own sufferings at the foot of the cross, so to touch His Sacred Heart, that I may obtain my request,
For to whom shall I fly in my wants and miseries, if not to thee, O Mother of mercy, who, having so deeply drunk the chalice of thy Son, canst most pity us poor exiles, still doomed to sigh in this vale of tears? Offer to Jesus but one drop of His Precious Blood, but one pang of His adorable Heart; remind Him that thou art our life, our sweetness, and our hope, and thou wilt obtain what I ask, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hail Mary
Virgin Most Sorrowful, pray for us
(Seven times each)

Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy Heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please Our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that: every thought of my mind and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy Divine Son, Jesus; keep me in His grace and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in Heaven and sing thy glories.

Most holy Virgin and Mother, whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the Passion of thy Divine Son, and who in His glorious Resurrection wast filled with never ending joy at His triumph, obtain for us who call upon thee, so to be partakers in the adversities of Holy Church and the Sorrows of the Sovereign Pontiff, as to be found worthy to rejoice with them in the consolations for which we pray, in the charity and peace of the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Litany of the Seven Sorrows

For private use only.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary,
Pray for us.
Holy Mother of God,
Pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, etc.
Mother crucified,
Mother sorrowful,
Mother tearful,
Mother afflicted,
Mother forsaken,
Mother desolate,
Mother bereft of thy Child,
Mother transfixed with the sword,
Mother consumed with grief,
Mother filled with anguish,
Mother crucified in heart,
Mother most sad,
Fountain of tears,
Abyss of suffering,
Mirror of patience,
Rock of constancy,
Anchor of confidence,
Refuge of the forsaken,
Shield of the oppressed,
Subduer of the unbelieving,
Comfort of the afflicted,
Medicine of the sick,
Strength of the weak,
Harbor of the wrecked,
Allayer of tempests,
Resource of mourners,
Terror of the treacherous,
Treasure of the faithful,
Eye of the Prophets,
Staff of the Apostles,
Crown of Martyrs,
Light of confessors,
Pearl of virgins,
Consolation of widows,
Joy of all Saints,

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

Look down upon us, deliver us, and save us from all trouble,
in the power of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Let Us Pray.
Imprint, O Lady, thy wounds upon my heart, that I may read therein sorrow and love
--- sorrow to endure every sorrow for thee, love to despise every love for thee. Amen.

Conclude with the Apostles Creed, Hail Holy Queen, and three Hail Marys,
in honor of the Most Holy Heart of Mary.

Stabat Mater Dolorosa

Stabat mater dolorosa
iuxta Crucem lacrimosa,
dum pendebat Filius.

Cuius animam gementem,
contristatam et dolentem
pertransivit gladius.

O quam tristis et afflicta
fuit illa benedicta,
mater Unigeniti!

Quae maerebat et dolebat,
pia Mater, dum videbat
nati poenas inclyti.

Quis est homo qui non fleret,
matrem Christi si videret
in tanto supplicio?

Quis non posset contristari
Christi Matrem contemplari
dolentem cum Filio?

Pro peccatis suae gentis
vidit Iesum in tormentis,
et flagellis subditum.

Vidit suum dulcem Natum
moriendo desolatum,
dum emisit spiritum.

Eia, Mater, fons amoris
me sentire vim doloris
fac, ut tecum lugeam.

Fac, ut ardeat cor meum
in amando Christum Deum
ut sibi complaceam.

Sancta Mater, istud agas,
crucifixi fige plagas
cordi meo valide.

Tui Nati vulnerati,
tam dignati pro me pati,
poenas mecum divide.

Fac me tecum pie flere,
crucifixo condolere,
donec ego vixero.

Iuxta Crucem tecum stare,
et me tibi sociare
in planctu desidero.

Virgo virginum praeclara,
mihi iam non sis amara,
fac me tecum plangere.

Fac, ut portem Christi mortem,
passionis fac consortem,
et plagas recolere.

Fac me plagis vulnerari,
fac me Cruce inebriari,
et cruore Filii.

Flammis ne urar succensus,
per te, Virgo, sim defensus
in die iudicii.

Christe, cum sit hinc exire,
da per Matrem me venire
ad palmam victoriae.

Quando corpus morietur,
fac, ut animae donetur
paradisi gloria. Amen.

Prayer To Our Lady of Sorrows, by St. Bridget

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of God, who didst endure a martyrdom of love and grief beholding the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus! Thou didst cooperate in the benefit of my redemption by thine innumerable afflictions and by offering to the Eternal Father His only begotten Son as a holocaust and victim of propitiation for my sins. I thank thee for the unspeakable love which led thee to deprive thyself of the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus, true God and true Man, to save me, a sinner. Oh, make use of the unfailing intercession of thy sorrows with the Father and the Son, that I may steadfastly amend my life and never again crucify my loving Redeemer by new sins, and that, persevering till death in His grace. I may obtain eternal life through the merits of His Cross and Passion. Amen.

Mother of love, of sorrow and of mercy, pray for us.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori's Prayer To The Mother Of Sorrows

O, my Blessed Mother, it is not one sword only with which I have pierced thy heart, but I have done so with as many as are the sins which I have committed. O, Lady, it is not to thee, who art innocent, that sufferings are due, but to me, who am guilty of so many crimes. But since thou hast been pleased to suffer so much for me, by thy merits, obtain me great sorrow for my sins, and patience under the trials of this life, which will always be light in comparison with my demerits; for I have often deserved Hell.
Amen.

Stabet Mater Dolorosa (catholic/orthodox caucus)
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] Spirituality: Our Lady of Sorrows
The Seven Swords Rosary Of Our Lady Of Sorrows [Catholic Caucus] Prayer and Meditation
The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows [Catholic Caucus] Prayer/Devotion
Our Lady of Sorrows, part I: "Her Martyrdom was longer and greater than that of all the martyrs"

Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With: The 7 Sorrows (Dolours) and 7 Joys of Our Lady
The Seven Dolors (Sorrows) of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Devotional]
Apparition in Africa: Our Lady of Sorrows [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary [Catholic Caucus Devotional]
Feast of Our Lady/Mother of Sorrows
Homilies on Our Lady of Sorrows
Starkenburg:Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Sorrows Shrine
Our Mother of Sorrows
ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, OF THE DOLOURS OF MARY, The Glories [Sorrows] of Mary
Our Lady of Sorrows - Sep 15

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September 6, 2016

Tuesday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 1 Cor 6:1-11

Responsorial Psalm Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

Alleluia See Jn 15:16

Gospel Lk 6:12-19

Readings at Mass

September 2016

Pope's Intentions

Universal: That opportunities for education and employment may increase for all young people.

Evangelization: That catechists may give witness by living in a way consistent with the faith they proclaim.

Tuesday of the Twenty-third week in Ordinary Time