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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 04-08-17
USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 04-08-17 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 04/07/2017 8:49:20 PM PDT by Salvation

April 8, 2017

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Reading 1 Ez 37:21-28

Thus says the Lord GOD:
I will take the children of Israel from among the nations
to which they have come,
and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land.
I will make them one nation upon the land,
in the mountains of Israel,
and there shall be one prince for them all.
Never again shall they be two nations,
and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms.

No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols,
their abominations, and all their transgressions.
I will deliver them from all their sins of apostasy,
and cleanse them so that they may be my people
and I may be their God.
My servant David shall be prince over them,
and there shall be one shepherd for them all;
they shall live by my statutes and carefully observe my decrees.
They shall live on the land that I gave to my servant Jacob,
the land where their fathers lived;
they shall live on it forever,
they, and their children, and their children's children,
with my servant David their prince forever.
I will make with them a covenant of peace;
it shall be an everlasting covenant with them,
and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever.
My dwelling shall be with them;
I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Thus the nations shall know that it is I, the LORD,
who make Israel holy,
when my sanctuary shall be set up among them forever.

Responsorial Psalm Jer 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13

R. (see 10d) The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD's blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the oil,
the sheep and the oxen.
R. The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.

Verse Before the Gospel Ez 18:31

Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD,
and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.

Gospel Jn 11:45-56

Many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him.
But some of them went to the Pharisees
and told them what Jesus had done.
So the chief priests and the Pharisees
convened the Sanhedrin and said,
"What are we going to do?
This man is performing many signs.
If we leave him alone, all will believe in him,
and the Romans will come
and take away both our land and our nation."
But one of them, Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year, said to them,
"You know nothing,
nor do you consider that it is better for you
that one man should die instead of the people,
so that the whole nation may not perish."
He did not say this on his own,
but since he was high priest for that year,
he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,
and not only for the nation,
but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.
So from that day on they planned to kill him.

So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews,
but he left for the region near the desert,
to a town called Ephraim,
and there he remained with his disciples.

Now the Passover of the Jews was near,
and many went up from the country to Jerusalem
before Passover to purify themselves.
They looked for Jesus and said to one another
as they were in the temple area, "What do you think?
That he will not come to the feast?"


TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; jn11; lent; prayer
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To: All



The Angelus 

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: 
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen. 

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. 

Hail Mary . . . 

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. 

Hail Mary . . . 


Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray: 

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen. 


"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28) 

 "Blessed are you among women,
 and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42). 


21 posted on 04/07/2017 9:31:02 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
John
  English: Douay-Rheims Latin: Vulgata Clementina Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
  John 11
45 Many therefore of the Jews, who were come to Mary and Martha, and had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in him. multi ergo ex Iudaeis qui venerant ad Mariam et viderant quae fecit crediderunt in eum πολλοι ουν εκ των ιουδαιων οι ελθοντες προς την μαριαν και θεασαμενοι α εποιησεν ο ιησους επιστευσαν εις αυτον
46 But some of them went to the Pharisees, and told them the things that Jesus had done. quidam autem ex ipsis abierunt ad Pharisaeos et dixerunt eis quae fecit Iesus τινες δε εξ αυτων απηλθον προς τους φαρισαιους και ειπον αυτοις α εποιησεν ο ιησους
47 The chief priests therefore, and the Pharisees, gathered a council, and said: What do we, for this man doth many miracles? collegerunt ergo pontifices et Pharisaei concilium et dicebant quid facimus quia hic homo multa signa facit συνηγαγον ουν οι αρχιερεις και οι φαρισαιοι συνεδριον και ελεγον τι ποιουμεν οτι ουτος ο ανθρωπος πολλα σημεια ποιει
48 If we let him alone so, all will believe in him; and the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation. si dimittimus eum sic omnes credent in eum et venient Romani et tollent nostrum et locum et gentem εαν αφωμεν αυτον ουτως παντες πιστευσουσιν εις αυτον και ελευσονται οι ρωμαιοι και αρουσιν ημων και τον τοπον και το εθνος
49 But one of them, named Caiphas, being the high priest that year, said to them: You know nothing. unus autem ex ipsis Caiaphas cum esset pontifex anni illius dixit eis vos nescitis quicquam εις δε τις εξ αυτων καιαφας αρχιερευς ων του ενιαυτου εκεινου ειπεν αυτοις υμεις ουκ οιδατε ουδεν
50 Neither do you consider that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. nec cogitatis quia expedit nobis ut unus moriatur homo pro populo et non tota gens pereat ουδε διαλογιζεσθε οτι συμφερει ημιν ινα εις ανθρωπος αποθανη υπερ του λαου και μη ολον το εθνος αποληται
51 And this he spoke not of himself: but being the high priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation. hoc autem a semet ipso non dixit sed cum esset pontifex anni illius prophetavit quia Iesus moriturus erat pro gente τουτο δε αφ εαυτου ουκ ειπεν αλλα αρχιερευς ων του ενιαυτου εκεινου προεφητευσεν οτι εμελλεν ο ιησους αποθνησκειν υπερ του εθνους
52 And not only for the nation, but to gather together in one the children of God, that were dispersed. et non tantum pro gente sed et ut filios Dei qui erant dispersi congregaret in unum και ουχ υπερ του εθνους μονον αλλ ινα και τα τεκνα του θεου τα διεσκορπισμενα συναγαγη εις εν
53 From that day therefore they devised to put him to death. ab illo ergo die cogitaverunt ut interficerent eum απ εκεινης ουν της ημερας συνεβουλευσαντο ινα αποκτεινωσιν αυτον
54 Wherefore Jesus walked no more openly among the Jews; but he went into a country near the desert, unto a city that is called Ephrem, and there he abode with his disciples. Iesus ergo iam non in palam ambulabat apud Iudaeos sed abiit in regionem iuxta desertum in civitatem quae dicitur Efrem et ibi morabatur cum discipulis ιησους ουν ουκ ετι παρρησια περιεπατει εν τοις ιουδαιοις αλλα απηλθεν εκειθεν εις την χωραν εγγυς της ερημου εις εφραιμ λεγομενην πολιν κακει διετριβεν μετα των μαθητων αυτου
55 And the pasch of the Jews was at hand; and many from the country went up to Jerusalem, before the pasch to purify themselves. proximum autem erat pascha Iudaeorum et ascenderunt multi Hierosolyma de regione ante pascha ut sanctificarent se ipsos ην δε εγγυς το πασχα των ιουδαιων και ανεβησαν πολλοι εις ιεροσολυμα εκ της χωρας προ του πασχα ινα αγνισωσιν εαυτους
56 They sought therefore for Jesus; and they discoursed one with another, standing in the temple: What think you that he is not come to the festival day? And the chief priests and Pharisees had given a commandment, that if any man knew where he was, he should tell, that they might apprehend him. quaerebant ergo Iesum et conloquebantur ad invicem in templo stantes quid putatis quia non veniat ad diem festum εζητουν ουν τον ιησουν και ελεγον μετ αλληλων εν τω ιερω εστηκοτες τι δοκει υμιν οτι ου μη ελθη εις την εορτην
57 [...] [...] δεδωκεισαν δε και οι αρχιερεις και οι φαρισαιοι εντολην ινα εαν τις γνω που εστιν μηνυση οπως πιασωσιν αυτον

(*) Verse 57 is missing in the Vulgate and is attached to the end of verse 56 in Douay.

22 posted on 04/08/2017 5:36:33 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex
45. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
46. But some of them went their way to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

ALCUIN. Christ awakes, because His power it is which quickens us inwardly: the disciples loose, because by the ministry of the priesthood, they who are quickened are absolved.

47. Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man does many miracles.
48. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
49. And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said to them, You know nothing at all,
50. Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
51. And this spoke he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
52. And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
53. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

THEOPHYL. Such a miracle as this should have drawn forth wonder and praise. But they make it a reason of plotting against His life: Then gathered the chief priests and, Pharisees a council, and said, What do we?

AUG; But they had no thought of believing. The miserable men only consulted how they might hurt and kill Him, not how themselves might be saved from death. What do we? For this Man does many miracles.

CHRYS. Him of whose divinity they had received such certain proofs, they call only a man.

ORIGEN. This speech is an evidence of their audacity and blindness: of their audacity, because they testified that He had done many miracles, and yet thought that they could contend successfully against Him, and that He would have no power of withstanding their plots; of their blindness, because they did not reflect that He who had wrought such miracles could easily escape out of their hands; unless indeed they denied that these miracles were done by Divine power.

They resolved then not to let Him go; thinking that they should thus place an impediment in the way of those who wished to believe in Him, and also prevent the Romans from taking away their place and nation. If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him, and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

CHRYS. They say this to alarm the people; as if they were incurring the suspicion of setting up an usurper. If, say they, the Romans in crowds follow Him, they will suspect us of setting up a tyranny, and will destroy our state. But this was as wholly a fiction of their own.

For what was the fact? Did He take armed men about with Him, did He go with horsemen in His train? Did He not rather choose desert places to go to? However, that they might not be suspected of consulting only their own interests, they declare the whole state is in danger.

AUG. Or, they were afraid that, if all believed in Christ, none would remain to defend the city of God and the temple against the Romans: since they thought that Christ's teaching was directed against the temple, and their laws. They were afraid of losing temporal things, and thought not of eternal life; and thus they lost both. For the Romans, after our Lord had suffered and was glorified, did come and take away their place and nation, reducing the one by siege, and dispersing the other.

ORIGEN. Mystically: It was fit that the Gentiles should occupy the place of them of the circumcision; because by their fall salvation came to the Gentiles. The Romans represent the Gentiles, being the rulers of the Gentile world. Their nation again was taken away, because they who had been the people of God, were made not a people.

CHRYS. When they hesitated, and asked, What do we? One of them gave most cruel and shameless advice, viz. Caiaphas, who was High Priest that same year.

AUG. How is it that he is called the High Priest of that year, when God appointed one hereditary High Priest? This was owing to the ambition and contention of parties among the Jews themselves, which had ended in the appointment of several High Priests, who took the office in turn, year by year. And sometimes even there seems to have been more than one in office.

ALCUIN. Of this Caiaphas Josephus relates, that he bought the priesthood for a year, for a certain sum.

ORIGEN. The character of Caiaphas is strewn by his being called the High Priest of that same year; the year, viz. in which our Savior suffered. Being the High Priest that same year, he said to them, You know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. i.e. You sit still, and give no attention. Attend to me. So insignificant life of one man may surely be made a sacrifice for the safety of the state.

THEOPHYL. He said this with a bad intention, yet the Holy Spirit used his mouth as the vehicle of a prophecy: And this spoke he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation.

ORIGEN. Not everyone that prophesies is a prophet; as not everyone that does a just action is just, he, for example, that does one for vainglory. Caiaphas prophesied without being a prophet, as did Balaam.

Perhaps some will deny that Caiaphas prophesied by the Holy Spirit, on the ground that evil spirits may bear witness to Christ, as the one in Luke, who says, I know You who You are, the Holy One of God; the intention of Caiaphas too being not to induce his hearers to believe on Him, but to excite them to kill Him. It is expedient for us. Is this part of his prophecy true or false? If it is true, then those who contended against Jesus in the council, since Jesus died for the people, and they participate in the advantage of His death, are saved.

This you say is absurd; and hence argue that the prophecy is false, and, if false, not dictated by the Holy Spirit, since the Holy Spirit does not lie on the other side it is argued, for the truth of the prophecy that these words only meant that He by the grace of God should taste death for all men; that He is the Savior of all men, specially of them that believe. And in the same way the former part of the speech, You know nothing at all, is made out to be an assertion of the truth. They knew nothing of Jesus, who did not know that He was truth, wisdom, justice, an peace.

And again, That one man should die for the people. It was as man that He died for the people: in so far as He is the image of the invisible God, He was incapable of death. And He died for the people, in that He took upon Himself, made away with, blotted out the sins of the whole world.

And this spoke he not of himself.

Hence we see, what men say sometimes proceeds from themselves, sometimes from the influence of some power upon them. In the latter case though they may not be taken quite out of themselves, and in a certain sense go along with their own words, yet they do not go along with the meaning of them. Thus Caiaphas says nothing of himself; and therefore does not interpret his own prophecy, because he does not understand it. Thus Paul too speaks of some teachers of the law, who understand neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

AUG. We learn hence that even bad men may foretell things to come by the spirit of prophecy, which power the Evangelist ascribes to a divine sacrament, he being Pontifex, i.e. High Priest.

CHRYS. See the great virtue of the Holy Spirit, in drawing forth a prophecy from a wicked man. And see too the virtue of the pontifical office, which made him, though an unworthy High Priest, unconsciously prophesy. Divine grace only used his mouth; it touched not his corrupt heart.

AUG. Caiaphas prophesied of the Jewish nation alone; in which nation were the sheep, of which our Lord says, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But the Evangelist knew that there were other sheep, not of this fold, which were to be brought in, and therefore adds, And not for that nation only, but also that He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad; i.e. those who were predestined to be so: for as yet there were neither sheep, nor children of God.

GREG. His persecutors accomplished this wicked purpose, and put Him to death, thinking to extinguish the devotion of His followers; but faith grew from the very thing which these cruel and unbelieving men thought would destroy it. That which human cruelty had executed against Him, He turned to the purposes of His mercy.

ORIGEN. Inflamed by the speech of Caiaphas, they determined on killing our Lord: Then from that day forth they took counsel together to put Him to death. Was this then the work of the Holy Spirit, as well as the former, or was it another spirit which did both first speak by the mouth of a wicked man, and then excite others like him to kill Christ? Answer: It is not necessary that both should be the work of the same spirit.

As some turn the Scriptures themselves which were given for our good, to the support of bad doctrines; so this true prophecy respecting our Savior was understood in a wrong sense as if it were a call to put Him to death.

CHRYS. They sought before to kill Him; now their resolution was confirmed.

54. Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went from there to a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.
55. And the Jews' passover was near at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
56. Then sought they for Jesus, and spoke among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think you, that he will not come to the feast?
57. Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should show it, that they might take him.

ORIGEN After this resolution of the Chief Priests and Pharisees, Jesus was more cautious in strewing Himself among the Jews, and retired to remote parts, and avoided populous places: Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went from there into a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim.

AUG Not that His power had failed Him; for, had He pleased He might still have walked openly among the Jews, and they done nothing to Him. But He wished to show the disciples, by His own example, that believers did not sin by retiring out of the sight of their persecutors, and hiding themselves from the fury of the wicked, rather than inflame that fury in their presence.

ORIGEN. It is praiseworthy, when struggles are at hand, not to avoid confession, or refuse to suffer death for the truth's sake. And it is no less praiseworthy now to avoid giving occasion for such trial. Which we should take care to do, not only on account of the uncertainty of the event of a trial in our own case, but also not to be the occasion of increasing the impiety and guilt of others.

For he who is the cause of sin in another, shall be punished. If we do not avoid our persecutor, when we have the opportunity, we make ourselves responsible for his offence. But our Lord not only retired Himself, but to remove all occasion of offence from His persecutors, took His disciples with Him:

And there stayed with His disciples.

CHRYS. How must it have troubled the disciples to see Him save Himself by merely human means? While all were rejoicing and keeping the feast, they remained hidden, and in danger. Yet they continued with Him; as we read in Luke, You are they which have continued with Me in My temptations.

ORIGEN. Mystically, Jesus walked openly among the Jews, when the Word of God used to come to them by the Prophets. But this Word ceased, i.e. Jesus went from there. And He went to that town near the wilderness, whereof Isaiah says, More are the children of the desolate, than the children of the married wife.

Ephraim signifies fertility. Ephraim was the younger brother of Manasses: Manasses stands for the elder people forgotten; the word Manasses meaning forgotten. When the elder people were forgotten and passed over, there came an abundant harvest from the Gentiles. Our Lord left the Jews' and went forth into a country - the whole world - near the wilderness, the deserted Church, to Ephraim, the fruitful city; and there continues with His disciples up to this day.

AUG. He who came from heaven to suffer, wished to draw near the place of His Passion, His hour being now at hand: And the Jews' passover was near at hand. That passover they had resolved to celebrate by shedding our Lord's blood; the blood which consecrated the Passover, the blood of the Lamb.

The Law obliged everyone to go up to the feast: And many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover to purify themselves. But ours is the true Passover; the Jewish one was a shadow. The Jews held their passover in the dark, we in the light: their posts were stained with the blood of a slain animal, our foreheads are signed with the blood of Christ.

THEOPHYL. They went up before the passover, to be purified. For whoever had sinned willingly or unwillingly could not keep the passover, unless they were first purified by washings, fastings, and shaving of the head, and also offering certain stated oblations. While engaged in these purifications, they were plotting our Lord's death: Then sought they for Jesus, and spoke among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think you, that He will not come to the feast?

CHRYS. They lay in wait for Him at the passover, and made the feast time the time of His death.

ORIGEN. Wherefore the Evangelist does not call it the Lord's passover, but the Jews' passover. For then it was that they plotted our Lord's death.

ALCUIN. They sought Jesus with bad intent. We seek Him, standing in God's temple, mutually encouraging one another, and praying Him to come to our feast, and sanctify us by His presence.

THEOPHYL. If the common people only had done these things, the Passion would have seemed owing to men's ignorance; but the Pharisees it is, who order Him to be taken: Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where He were, he should show it, that they might take Him.

ORIGEN. Observe, they did not know where He was; they knew that He had gone away. Mystically, they did not know where He was, because, in the place of the divine commandments, they taught the doctrines and commandments of men.

AUG. Let us at least show the Jews where He is; O that they would hear, that they would come to the Church, and take hold of Him for themselves!

Catena Aurea John 11
23 posted on 04/08/2017 5:37:18 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex


Christ Before Caiaphas

Duccio di Buoninsegna

1308-11
Tempera on wood, 45,5 x 53,5 cm
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Siena

24 posted on 04/08/2017 5:39:12 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: All
Saint Julie Billiart

Fr. Don Miller, OFM

Statue of Saint Julie Billiart | Saint Julie Billiart Catholic Church, Hamilton, OH | photo by NheyobImage: Statue of Saint Julie Billiart | Saint Julie Billiart Catholic Church, Hamilton, OH | photo by Nheyob

Saint Julie Billiart

Saint of the Day for April 8

(July 12, 1751 – April 8, 1816)

 

Saint Julie Billiart’s Story

Born in Cuvilly, France, into a family of well-to-do farmers, young Marie Rose Julie Billiart showed an early interest in religion and in helping the sick and poor. Though the first years of her life were relatively peaceful and uncomplicated, Julie had to take up manual work as a young teen when her family lost its money. However, she spent her spare time teaching catechism to young people and to the farm laborers.

A mysterious illness overtook her when she was about 30. Witnessing an attempt to wound or even kill her father, Julie was paralyzed and became a complete invalid. For the next two decades, she continued to teach catechism lessons from her bed, offered spiritual advice, and attracted visitors who had heard of her holiness.

When the French Revolution broke out in 1789, revolutionary forces became aware of her allegiance to fugitive priests. With the help of friends, she was smuggled out of Cuvilly in a haycart. She then spent several years hiding in Compiegne, being moved from house to house despite her growing physical pain. She even lost the power of speech for a time.

But this period also proved to be a fruitful spiritual time for Julie. It was at this time she had a vision in which she saw Calvary surrounded by women in religious habits and heard a voice saying, “Behold these spiritual daughters whom I give you in an institute marked by the cross.”

As time passed and Julie continued her mobile life, she made the acquaintance of an aristocratic woman, Françoise Blin de Bourdon, who shared Julie’s interest in teaching the faith. In 1803, the two women began the Institute of Notre Dame, which was dedicated to the education of the poor, young Christian girls, and the training of catechists. The following year, the first Sisters of Notre Dame made their vows. That was the same year that Julie recovered from the illness: She was able to walk for the first time in 22 years.

Though Julie had always been attentive to the special needs of the poor and that always remained her priority, she also became aware that other classes in society needed Christian instruction. From the founding of the Sisters of Notre Dame until her death, Julie was on the road, opening a variety of schools in France and Belgium that served the poor and the wealthy, vocational groups, teachers. Ultimately, Julie and Françoise moved the motherhouse to Namur, Belgium.

Julie died there in 1816. She was canonized in 1969.


Reflection

Julie’s immobility in no way impeded her activities. In spite of her suffering, she managed to co-found a teaching order that tended to the needs of both the poor and the well-to-do. Each of us has limitations, but the worst malady any of us can suffer is the spiritual paralysis that keeps us from doing God’s work on earth.


25 posted on 04/08/2017 4:50:27 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Information: St. Julia Billiart

Feast Day: April 8

Born: 12 July 1751 at Cuvilly,France

Died: 8 April 1816 at Namur, Belgium

Canonized: 22 June 1969 by Pope Paul VI

Patron of: against poverty, bodily ills, impoverishment, poverty, sick people, sickness

26 posted on 04/08/2017 7:01:17 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

St. Julie Billiart

Feast Day: April 08
Born: 1751 :: Died: 1816

Mary Rose Julie Billiart was born in Belgium and was the sixth of seven children. Her parents Jean-Frangois Billiart and Marie-Louise-Antoinette Debraine were peasant farmers. Her uncle, the village school teacher, taught her to read and write.

Although she was not a very good student, she loved to study her catechism. In fact, when she was just seven, Julie knew her catechism by heart and would explain it to other little children. When her parents became poor, she worked hard to help support the family. She even went to harvest the crops. Yet she always found time to pray, to visit the sick, and to teach catechism.

When she was fourteen she decided she would not marry but give her life to God. Instead she spent her life serving and teaching the poor.

While she was still a young woman, she was sitting beside her father when some one shot at him. The shock made her very ill and completely paralyzed. Although helpless, St. Julie offered her prayers so that sinners would find eternal happiness with God. She was closer to God than ever and kept on teaching catechism from bed.

She was a very holy and people came to her for advice because she helped them grow closer to Jesus and practice their faith with more love. She encouraged everyone who came to her to receive Holy Communion often.

Many young women were inspired by Julie's love for God. They were willing to spend their time and money for good works. With Julie as their leader, they started the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and were devoted to the Christian education of girls.

Once a priest gave a mission in the town where Julie was. He asked her to make a novena with him for an intention which was a secret. After five days, on the feast of the Sacred Heart, he said: "Mother, if you have faith, take one step in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus." Mother Billiart, who had been paralyzed for twenty-two years, stood up and was healed!

St. Julie spent the rest of her life looking after and training young women to become sisters. Pleople who did not understand her mission, hurt her a lot, but she always trusted God. Her favorite words were: "How good is the good God."

God rewarded her by helping her religious congregation to grow. By the time St. Julie died on April 8, 1816, there were already fifteen convents. Today there are many of St. Julie's sisters of Notre Dame all over the world.


27 posted on 04/08/2017 7:09:39 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Catholic Culture

Lent: April 8th

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

MASS READINGS

April 08, 2017 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, who have made all those reborn in Christ a chosen race and a royal priesthood, grant us, we pray, the grace to will and to do what you command, that the people called to eternal life may be one in the faith of their hearts and the homage of their deeds. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever..

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Old Calendar: St. Julie Billiart, religious (Trad./ some places)

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, in some places today is the feast of St. Julie Billiart, a French religious who founded, and was the first Superior General of, the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.

Stational Church


St. Julie Billiart
Saint Julie was a woman completely immersed in God’s love and goodness, even in the midst of great suffering. She was a woman of vision who responded to the needs of the suffering world around her.

Born in Cuvilly, France, on July 12, 1751, Julie lived a humble life in a loving family. She was a woman of serenity, despite the great personal suffering she endured. The Billiart family survived many hardships, including the deaths of several children. When Julie was 16, she went to work to help support her family. At the age of 23 she became paralyzed by the trauma of a shooting that was aimed at her father. She spent more than 20 years confined to her bed, unable to care for even her most basic needs.

Besides her physical pain, Julie suffered religious persecution, lived in hiding as a refugee. Throughout her suffering, she steadfastly trusted in God’s goodness. At the age of 53, Julie and her very good friend, Françoise Blin de Bourdon, along with two other women, made their vows as Sisters of Notre Dame in Amiens, France. A variety of difficult circumstances caused her to move her congregation to Namur, Belgium, several years later. Today these sisters are known as the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Julie’s spirit and charism also influenced the Sisters of Notre Dame of Amersfoort, The Netherlands, as well as our own congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame, which began in Coesfeld, Germany.

Julie reached out to the poor and forgotten, she brought comfort and hope to those around her, she encouraged faith in the seeking and the lost. More than anything else, she was a witness to the deep, loving goodness of God. Her motto and mantra was: “Oh, how good God is!” In 1969 Julie was named a saint by the Catholic Church. The impact that Saint Julie had on the world continues through the life and ministry of the sisters who share in her heritage.

Excerpted from The Sisters of Notre Dame


28 posted on 04/08/2017 7:19:21 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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The Word Among Us

Meditation: Ezekiel 37:21-28

5th Week of Lent

I will . . . bring them back to their land. (Ezekiel 37:21)

It has become common to think of a prophet as a person who can foretell the future, one who lives an eccentric life and who speaks passionately about obscure topics.

What a caricature! According to Scripture, a prophet is simply someone who hears from the Lord and is able to share what God has said. In today’s first reading, Ezekiel was given one clear and comforting message for the Israelites who were in exile: “I, the Lord, will bring you home.” Not the rulers in the lands to which they were exiled. Not the gods of these rulers. Only the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He alone has to power to restore his people.

Ezekiel’s message had a special sense of urgency because the Israelites were living in despair. Their persistent disobedience to God’s commands had finally caught up with them, and they ended up living as exiles in Babylon. Through the destruction of war, they had been banished from the familiar sights, sounds, and smells of the land God had given them.

But even though the Israelites had abandoned God, he did not abandon them. Through the prophet Ezekiel, he promised that he would bring them home. No longer would they be isolated or abandoned. God was going to deliver them, shepherd them, establish peace with them, and live with them forever.

Few of us are living in physical exile, but we all know what it’s like to live in exile far from the Lord. Our “foreign lands” have their own set of idols and their own particular ways that are opposed to God. Sometimes these lands of sin discourage us, divide us from each other, and cause us to get down on ourselves. Sooner or later, we feel as separated from God as the Israelites felt.

That’s why we need to know that Ezekiel’s words are for us. God is with us. His loving gaze is upon us, and his hand is stretched out to rescue us. Patiently but persistently, he is calling to us, asking us to leave these foreign lands and come home to him.

It’s not too late to go to Confession before Easter. Go to the Lord and let him bring you home from every foreign land of sin.

“Father, I want to come home. Nothing compares to being with you.”

(Psalm) Jeremiah 31:10-13
John 11:45-56

29 posted on 04/08/2017 7:24:01 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for April 8, 2017:

Don’t let the “terrible trifles” eat away at your marriage. If the kind of toilet paper is important to your wife, don’t fight it. If your husband likes to buy in bulk to save money, it may be an annoyance but not the hill you want to die on. Try to find the good in […]

30 posted on 04/08/2017 7:26:21 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Regnum Christi

April 8, 2017 – Whoever is not With Me is Against Me

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Father Alex Yeung, LC

John 11:45-56

Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to kill him. So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews, but he left for the region near the desert, to a town called Ephraim, and there he remained with his disciples. Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves. They looked for Jesus and said to one another as they were in the Temple area, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?”

Introductory Prayer: Lord, you are life and truth and goodness. You are also peace and mercy. How grateful I am to have this moment to turn to you. Without you I can do nothing good. In fact, when I do good, it is you working through me, despite my failings. Thank you, Lord. Here I am ready to love you more.

Petition: Help me to see your will, Lord, above and beyond my own will and my own plans.

1. No Middle Ground: Today’s Gospel opens with the response to Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead. Some eyewitnesses of the miracle believed in him, but others did not; in fact, they went to “pour fuel on the fire” with the adversaries of Christ who were seeking a reason to condemn him. Here we see the mystery of human freedom at work. The overt action of God in our lives obliges us, in a certain sense, to move to either side of the truth. To what side of the truth am I moved when I sense the manifest action of God at work in my life, in the voice of my conscience, or in the lives of others? Does it help me to believe ever more deeply in Christ?

2. Is it All About Power? Why did the Pharisees so oppose the message and action of Jesus? One way of looking at the problem is to see it as the natural consequence of the human tendency toward control – even the control of things spiritual. The religious authorities of Christ’s time no doubt saw themselves as the custodians of the faith handed down to them by their forefathers. But it seems that slowly this custody became control. The authorities become less interested in the legitimacy of Jesus’ identity, message and mission and more interested in maintaining the established religious and political order. Yet even their resistance is incorporated into God’s plan. Their rejection leads Jesus to die for the nation, “and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.” How much do I try to control God’s action in my life?

3. Willingly Embracing the Father’s Will: We can only imagine the inner thoughts and feelings of Christ as the events leading to his suffering and death begin to unfold, just as he knows they will. Instead of resisting the Father’s plan, we see Christ serene and composed as the tension builds. We see his sense of determination and decision increase. He is fully committed to the Father’s will. Jesus teaches us the wisdom of letting go of circumstances that are fully within the Father’s purview. He teaches us to embrace the divine will with total trust and serenity, no matter how difficult it may be for us.

Conversation with Christ: You know, Lord, what is best for me because you are my Father, immensely good, inclined towards me, attentive to my pleas, eager to give me the body of your Son ever present in the great mystery of your Eucharist.

Resolution: I will embrace with faith what I cannot – and should not – control.

31 posted on 04/08/2017 7:48:16 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espa�ol

All Issues > Volume 33, Issue 3

<< Saturday, April 8, 2017 >>
 
Ezekiel 37:21-28
View Readings
Jeremiah 31:10-13 John 11:45-56
Similar Reflections
 

THE MAGNET OF UNITY

 
"He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together." �Jeremiah 31:10
 

Jesus died on the cross "to gather into one all the dispersed children of God" (Jn 11:52). He is praying that we be one as He and the Father are one (Jn 17:21). Jesus makes us one by His being lifted up on the cross, in the Resurrection and the Ascension, to the right hand of the Father. Then He draws us to Himself, as He promised: "I � once I am lifted up from earth � will draw all men to Myself" (Jn 12:32). As we draw closer to Jesus, we draw closer to each other. As we converge on Jesus, we are united with each other. For example, to be more closely united with your spouse, you need to draw closer to Jesus and to pray that your spouse do the same.

Tomorrow we begin Holy Week. We focus on Jesus lifted up on the cross. Then, in the Easter season, we see Jesus lifted up in His Resurrection, Ascension, and glorification. The lifted-up Jesus is drawing us powerfully to Himself and thereby to each other. The lifted-up Jesus is the Magnet of unity. Let us pray: "Draw me!" (Sg 1:4)

 
Prayer: Father, I have been baptized in one Spirit into the one body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13). Prepare me to renew my baptismal promises in a world-changing way this Easter.
Promise: "I will make them one nation upon the land, in the mountains of Israel, and there shall be one prince for them all." �Ez 37:22
Praise: George reconciled with his family and with God.

32 posted on 04/08/2017 7:50:35 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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33 posted on 04/08/2017 7:51:50 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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