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From: Isaiah 56:1, 6-7

Worship Open to All

[1] Thus says the Lord: â€œKeep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my sal-
vation will come.

[6] â€ And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to
love the name of the Lord,and to be his servants, every one who keeps the sab-
bath, and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant — [7] these I will bring
to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt
offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be
called a house of prayer for all peoples.

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

56:1-66:24. These chapters make up the third part of the book of Isaiah, some-
times called â€œThird Isaiahâ€ . It consists of prophetic visions and oracles about the
new Zion and the nations of the earth. The variety of style and content here
makes it difficult to identify any clear structure: the sacred writer seems to have
drawn these oracles together, apparently content that they are all to do with the
End and all refer to the whole world and not just to Israel. But he has carefully
positioned chapter 61 in the middle, making it the high-point of these chapters.
Also, 56:1-8 and 66:18-24, which stress the universality of justice and worship,
are very appropriately positioned at start and finish. To make this part easier to
read, we have divided it into three sections in this edition. The first (56:1-59:21)
is a series of oracles that show salvation being extended to all mankind, even
though the sins of the people of God will cause delays. In the second
(60:1-64:11), the salvation that the Lord will provide is proclaimed to all the na-
tions from Jerusalem. And the third section (65:1-66:24) has as its theme the
judgment of God, handed down to each according to his or her merits, be it
punishment for sin, or salvation.

Historically, the oracles have to do with the years following the return from exile
after Cyrus issued his decree of repatriation (539 BC). It was for Judah a time for
â€œbeginning againâ€ . God sent messages of hope to raise the Jewsâ€™ spirits during
their years in exile and on their return, when they were confronted by a scene
of devastation. They cannot fail to see that, from now on, peace and salvation
are linked with a return to God, conversion, the practice of righteousness, and
holiness.

This means that the horizon of divine salvation extends to include the whole
world, extending beyond the narrow limits of Jewish nationalism. When the pro-
phetic texts speak of Zion, they see it as the center of a new view of mankind,
as a source of light for all nations. The new Jerusalem stands for a new order,
as it will in the Revelation to John. Although all the energies of repatriates are
focused on the rebuilding of the temple (60:7-13), the message here is that the
ultimate goal is not material reconstruction, for the throne of God is to be found
in heaven, and the earth is only his footstool (66:1-2). Hope in a glorious future
is not measured in terms of external institutions—in the monarchy (which does
not exist), or in any other human authority, or in force of arms. Even divine wor-
ship, and the rules and regulations to do with fasting and sacrifices, will be
cleansed of the old formalism (58:1-14). God will act directly to save his people
(62:2-12). The new horizon opened up by â€œThird Isaiahâ€ has its parallel in Haggai
and Zechariah, and, above all, it prepares the way for the still-distant eschatolo-
gical vision found in the Revelation to John.

56:1-59:21. The new section looks forward to a salvation that is open to everyone
who practises righteousness (56:1-12). However, the first announcement of this
is put on hold, as it were, due to the sins of the people of God; these delay the
manifestation of Godâ€™s salvific power, for he refuses to hearken to the prayers of
the ungodly (57:1-21). Therefore, first and foremost, the prophet issues a call to
conversion (58: 1-14), while promising that the Lord, who is faithful to his Cove-
nant, will reward people according to their actions: he will punish those who are
faithless and redeem those who return to him (59:1-21).

56:1-8. In the restored Jerusalem, the temple will begin to open its doors to all
peoples. What we were told at the start of the book (cf. 2:2-5) would happen â€œin
the latter daysâ€ is beginning to happen: the temple of the Lord will be a house of
prayer for those who previously could not enter it; it will be open to all peoples.
The old rulings (Lev 22:25; Deut 23:2-9) did not permit eunuchs or foreigners to
take part in the assembly of Israel (a similar approach is found in Ezra 9:1-12
and Nehemiah 9:1-2); but this oracle displays a much more open and universa-
list attitude (cf. V/is 3:14):there is no objection to eunuchs and foreigners provi-
ded that they observe the sabbath and the Covenant (cf. vv. 2, 4,6). Blood ties
are no longer the criteria for membership of the community of the people of God:
now it suffices that a person keep to the moral teaching laid down in the old Co-
venant, and worship the true God.

The mission of the temple, rebuilt by the exiles after their return with its open in-
vitation to all without exception to come and worship God as part of his people,
will reach its fullness in the redemption wrought by Christ Jesus. When he clean-
ses the temple (Mt 21:12-13 and par.), appealing to the words of v. 6 (along with
Jeremiah 7:11; cf. note on same), this prophecy will be fulfilled.

*********************************************************************************************
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: Romans 11:13-15, 29-32

The New Chosen People

[13] Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to
the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry [14] in order to make my fellow Jews jealous,
and thus save some of them. [15] For if their rejection means the reconciliation
of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

The Conversion of the Jews (Continuation)

[29] For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. [30] Just as you were once
disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,
[31] so they have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you
they may also receive mercy. [32] For God has consigned all men to disobe-
dience, that he may have mercy upon all.

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

25-32. We all yearn for the fulfillment of these words—threatening yet consoling —
which Christ addressed to the scribes and Pharisees: “For I tell you, you will not
see me again, until you say ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”’
(Mt 23:39). “Together with the prophets and the Apostle, the Church awaits the
day, known to God alone, when all peoples will call on God with one voice and
‘serve him with one accord’ (Zeph 3:9)” (Vatican II, “Nostra Aetate”, 4). The con-
version of the Jews is a secret — a mystery, the text says (v. 25) — hidden in the
future, which will come about when the Incarnation of the Word achieves its
ultimate purpose.

This conversion will follow on that of the Gentiles, which will be as it were a pre-
lude to it. Jesus has foretold that “Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gen-
tiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Lk 21:24; cf. note on same),
which in some way suggests that the Jews will be converted at the end of time.

However, when the Church in its preaching touches on the main signs of the end
of the world, it only refers to the proclamation of the Gospel throughout the world,
to apostasy and to the Antichrist, but it has nothing to say about the conversion
of the Jews (cf. “St Pius V Catechism”, I, 8, 7). What the Church does do, and
what we should do, is to pray the Lord to listen to its prayers “that the people
you first made your own may arrive at the fullness of redemption” (”Roman Mis-
sal”, Good Friday Liturgy, Prayer of the Faithful).

“The same thing is happening, St Paul explains, now that the Gospel is being
preached. The people of Israel in general are not accepting it and are not beco-
ming part of the Church; only a small number of Jews have believed, and these
are the “remnant.’ of Israel, chosen by God so that in them the promises might
be kept. The conversion of Paul himself is an example and an earnest of this
return of the people of Israel to their God, in line with the invitation that Hosea
addressed to them: “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stum-
bled because of your iniquity” (Hos 14:2).

Throughout the history of the Church lapses of this type have occurred, with
a consequent breakdown in morality. Whenever this happens, those Christians
who stay true to the faith may, like Elijah, feel inclined to despair; but they should
react with a realistic and vigilant optimism and not indulge in useless lamentation.
In the presence of God, they should reflect on the fact that God actually wants to
use them and their holy lives to turn the situation around: “A secret, an open se-
cret: these world crises are sanctity crises. God wants a handful of men ‘of his
own’ in every human activity. And then...’”pax Christi in regno Christi”—the peace
of Christ in the kingdom of Christ” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 301).

29. God never goes back on anything he promises; therefore he continues to call
the Jews to enter the chosen people. He does not take account of their disobe-
dience or their sins: he will love them with an everlasting love, as he promised the
patriarchs and in line with the merits accruing to them for their fidelity (cf. Rom 9:
4-5). It is this very immutability of God’s love that makes it possible for “all Israel”
(v. 26) to be saved. God’s calling, which is eternal, cannot cease; but we for our
part can reject his call. The immutability of God’s plan is reassuring to us: it
means that even if we abandon him at any point, we can always return to our
earlier fidelity: he is still there, waiting for us.

*********************************************************************************************
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: Matthew 15:21-28

The Canaanite Woman

[21] And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and
Sidon. [22] And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and
cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely pos-
sessed by a demon.” [23] But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples
came and begged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.” [24]
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” [25] But
she came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, help me.” [26] And He answered,
“It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” [27] She said,
“Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
[28] Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you
as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

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

21-22. Tyre and Sidon were Phoenician cities on the Mediterranean coast, in
present-day Lebanon. They were never part of Galilee but they were near its
north-eastern border. In Jesus’ time they were outside the territory of Herod Anti-
pas. Jesus withdrew to this area to escape persecution from Herod and from the
Jewish authorities and to concentrate on training His Apostles.

Most of the inhabitants of the district of Tyre and Sidon were pagans. St. Mat-
thew calls this woman a “Canaanite”; according to Genesis (10:15), this district
was one of the first to be settled by the Canaanites; St. Mark describes the wo-
man as a “Syrophoenician” (Mark 7:26). Both Gospels point out that she is a
pagan, which means that her faith in our Lord is more remarkable; the same
applies in the case of the centurion (Matthew 8:5-13).

The Canaanite woman’s prayer is quite perfect: she recognizes Jesus as the
Messiah (the Son of David)—which contrasts with the unbelief of the Jews; she
expresses her need in clear, simple words; she persists, undismayed by obsta-
cles; and she expresses her request in all humility: “Have mercy on me.” Our
prayer should have the same qualities of faith, trust, perseverance and humility.

24. What Jesus says here does not take from the universal reference of His tea-
ching (cf. Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16). Our Lord came to bring His Gos-
pel to the whole world, but He Himself addressed only the Jews; later on He will
charge His Apostles to preach the Gospel to pagans. St. Paul, in his missionary
journeys, also adopted the policy of preaching in the first instance to the Jews
(Acts 13:46).

25-28. This dialogue between Jesus and the woman is especially beautiful. By
appearing to be harsh He so strengthens the woman’s faith that she deserves
exceptional praise: “Great is your faith!” Our own conversation with Christ should
be like that: “Persevere in prayer. Persevere, even when your efforts seem barren.
Prayer is always fruitful” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 101).

*********************************************************************************************
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.

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

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading	Isaiah 56:1,6-7 ©

Thus says the Lord: Have a care for justice, act with integrity, for soon my salvation will come and my integrity be manifest.

Foreigners who have attached themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love his name and be his servants – all who observe the sabbath, not profaning it, and cling to my covenant – these I will bring to my holy mountain. I will make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their holocausts and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 66(67):2-3,5-6,8 ©

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

O God, be gracious and bless us

and let your face shed its light upon us.

So will your ways be known upon earth

and all nations learn your saving help.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and exult

for you rule the world with justice.

With fairness you rule the peoples,

you guide the nations on earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

May God still give us his blessing

till the ends of the earth revere him.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Second reading
Romans 11:13-15,29-32 ©

Let me tell you pagans this: I have been sent to the pagans as their apostle, and I am proud of being sent, but the purpose of it is to make my own people envious of you, and in this way save some of them. Since their rejection meant the reconciliation of the world, do you know what their admission will mean? Nothing less than a resurrection from the dead! God never takes back his gifts or revokes his choice.

Just as you changed from being disobedient to God, and now enjoy mercy because of their disobedience, so those who are disobedient now – and only because of the mercy shown to you – will also enjoy mercy eventually. God has imprisoned all men in their own disobedience only to show mercy to all mankind.

Gospel Acclamation	Jn10:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,

says the Lord,

I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia!

Or	cf.Mt4:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom

and cured all kinds of sickness among the people.

Alleluia!

Gospel
Matthew 15:21-28 ©

Jesus left Gennesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, ‘Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.’ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples went and pleaded with him. ‘Give her what she wants,’ they said ‘because she is shouting after us.’ He said in reply, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. ‘Lord,’ she said ‘help me.’ He replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ She retorted, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’ And from that moment her daughter was well again.

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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 Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

St. Michael the Archangel

~ PRAYER ~

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+

August Devotion -- The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.

This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.

On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.

INVOCATIONS

O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.

Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."

Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.

Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII

IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Sacred Heart Of Jesus

Sacred Heart Of Jesus image

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculate Heart of Mary image

Blessed be the Most Loving Heart and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother, in eternity and forever. Amen.

....Only the Heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way ----From the Catechism. P:1439

From the depth of my nothingness, I prostrate myself before Thee, O Most Sacred, Divine and Adorable Heart of Jesus, to pay Thee all the homage of love, praise and adoration in my power.
Amen. - - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and his Heart which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins. Christian prayer loves to follow the way of the cross in the Savior's steps.-- >From the Catechism. P: 2669

The Salutation to the Heart of Jesus and Mary

An Offering of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Novena Prayer to Sacred Heart of Jesus

Prayer to the Wounded Heart of Jesus

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

Meditation & Novena Prayer on the Sacred Heart

Beads to the Sacred Heart

Novena Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Daily Offering to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Exaltation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

The Holy Heart of Mary Is, After the Heart of Jesus, the Most Exalted Throne of Divine Love
Let us recollect that God has given us the feast of the most pure Heart of the Blessed Virgin so that we may render on that day all the respect, honor and praise that we possibly can. To enkindle this spirit within us let us consider our motivating obligations.

The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.

This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?

How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?

— St. John Eudes

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August, 2017

Pope's Prayer Intention

Artists, That artists of our time, through their ingenuity, may help everyone discover the beauty of creation.

Daily Gospel Commentary

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint Bede the Venerable (c.673-735), monk, Doctor of the Church
Homily on the Gospels I, 22

“Woman, you have great faith! Your wish will come to pass.”

The Gospel shows us the Canaanite woman’s great faith, her patience, her perseverance and humility… This woman was gifted with a truly uncommon patience. After her first request, the Lord didn’t answer even with one word. In spite of that, far from ceasing to pray even for one moment, she implored the help of his kindness with greater insistence… Seeing the ardor of our faith and the tenacity of our perseverance in prayer, the Lord ends up by having pity on us and giving us what we desire.

The Canaanite woman’s daughter was “troubled by a demon.” Once the bad agitation of our thoughts has been driven out and the knots of our sins untied, serenity of spirit will return to us as well as the ability to act correctly… If, following the example of the Canaanite woman, we persevere in prayer with unshakeable firmness, our Creator’s grace will be present to us. It will correct all the errors in us, it will sanctify all that is impure, it will pacify all agitation. For the Lord is faithful and just. He will forgive our sins and will purify us from every stain if we cry to him with the attentive voice of our heart.

Zenit.org

A Cry That Gets Salvation, by Archbishop Follo

XX Sunday of Ordinary Time – August 20, 2017

August 18, 2017Archbishop Francesco FolloSpirituality and Prayer

Archbishop Francesco Follo, courtesy of the Holy See Mission , UNESCO

A cry that gets salvation

Roman Rite

XX Sunday of Ordinary Time – August 20, 2017

Is 56, 1.6-7; Ps 67; Rm 11.13-15.29-32; Mt 15: 21-28

—

1) The cry of faith to invoke a gift not to claim it.

Last Sunday, we meditated on the filial prayer of Christ who expresses his need to be with the Father, and Peter’s prayer who, to be with Christ, cries out to him “Lord, save me.” Today Gospel makes us hear the cry of a pagan woman who pleadingly and confidently turns to the Messiah saying, “Have mercy of me, Lord, son of David!” This woman begs Christ to release her daughter from devil. She humbly begs the Lord to do a miracle, but does not require divine intervention as a right. She expects it as a gift. She asks the One who is a gift recognizing in him the Lord and Messiah. Her faith is all enclosed in the expression: “Have mercy of me, Lord, Son of David.”

Once again the liturgy makes us contemplate the “Gospel of Grace” that responds to the desire for salvation, and for this reason, we pray: “Infuse in us the sweetness of your love so that loving you in everything and above all, we get the promised things that exceed every desire “(Opening prayer of today’s Mass).

Praying in this way, we put ourselves in the boundless horizon of God’s love, a love that attracts us to Him to be filled with joy.

The episode reported by the today Gospel is embodied and understood in the logic of the tender and infinite love of God. Saint Matthew tells us about a meeting that takes place “in a foreign land” with a pagan woman, who is a mother oppressed by anguish (“My daughter is tormented by a demon”). This mother gets what she was asking for. Today’s evangelical tale tells us the story of a pain open to faith and of a faith which becomes miracle and liberation.

The Canaanite woman turns to Jesus, sure to be satisfied. Her faith is insistent, brave, humble, and stronger than the apparent refusal. Faith must be both certain and patient. It must not be discouraged even by the silence of God “He did not even say a word”. The silence of Jesus may seem disconcerting, so much that it arouses the intervention of the disciples, but it is not about insensitivity to the pain of the woman.

Saint Augustine rightly comments “Christ seemed indifferent not because he want to refuse mercy to her, but to inflame her desire “(Sermo 77, 1: PL 38, 483). The apparent distance taken by Jesus, who says, “I was not sent except for the lost sheep of the house of Israel “(Mt 15, 24) does not discourage the Canaanite, who insists “Lord, help me!”(Mt 15:25). And even when she receives an answer that seems to close any hope -“It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (Mt 15, 26) -, she does not desist. She doesn’t want to take anything from anyone: in its simplicity and humility little is enough, crumbles are enough, just one glance and a good word from the Son of God is enough. And Jesus is admired by the answer of such a great faith and says to her, “Let be done for you as you wish” (Mt 15:28). And from that moment her daughter is healed.

2) A persistent question to the one who loves us.

The healing of a young woman is not the only miracle narrated in the today Gospel. During the dialogue between Christ and the Canaanite woman, who begged a grace, it happened another miracle, greater than her daughter’s healing. This mother has become a “believer,” one of the first pagan believers.

If the Messiah had listened to her at the first request, all that this woman would have obtained is the healing of her daughter. Life would have gone through with less annoyances but everything would have ended there, and mother and daughter would have died in anonymity. Instead, they will be spoken about until the end of the world. Perhaps, Jesus took the inspiration from this meeting to propose the widow’s parable about the “Need to pray always, without getting tired”.

In the insistence of the Canaanite woman transpires the confidence in the power of Jesus. He was trying to hide, but the fame accompanying him prevented a single moment of solitude. He was there for her (and today he is here for us) and she knew it. Her presence in a territory that was not Jewish, “in the area of Tire and Sidon”, could not be casual. She had guessed the favorable time for her daughter’s salvation. This certainty moves her and pushes her to Jesus. The certainty of a faith full of hope throws her at Christ’s feet, who says “Woman, great is your faith! Let be done as you wish “(Mt 15:28). Yes, this woman has a great faith. “Not knowing the ancient prophets, nor the recent miracles of the Lord, nor his commandments or his promises, indeed, rejected by him, she persists in her request and does not get tired of knocking at the door of the one who, by fame, had been named Savior. So her prayer is granted in a visible and immediate way”(Saint Bede the Venerable, Homely on the Gospels I, 22: PL 94, 102-105).

The insistent prayer of this woman does not arise solely from the need to obtain her daughter’s healing. It is born from a faith that is not the result of a theory or a need, but of an encounter with Christ, the Son of the “living God who calls and reveals his love” (Pope Francis, Lumen Fidei, 4) with a gesture of mercy.

In addition, the episode on which we are meditating makes us understand that when we pray the Lord we must not expect an immediate fulfillment of what we ask for, but rather rely on Christ’s heart trying to interpret the events of our life in the perspective of his design of love, often mysterious in our eyes. Therefore, in our prayer praise and thanks should merge together, even when it seems to us that God does not respond to our concrete expectations. The abandonment to the love of God, who precedes us and always accompanies us, is one of the fundamental attitudes of our dialogue with Him.

A clear example of this attitude is offered by the consecrated virgins, who are called to live in particular the “service of prayer,” as it is said during the Rite of Consecration when the Book of the Hours is given to them.

Moreover, with the full donation of self to Christ, these women testify how to ask and how to pray. Before the gift (= grace) is granted, they adhere to Jesus, who in his gifts gives himself. The Giver is more valuable than the gift; He is the ” invaluable Treasury”, the” precious Pearl “; the gift of the miracle is granted “in addition” (cf. Mt 6, 21 and 6:33).

These consecrated ones testify a very important thing: before the gift is granted, it is necessary to adhere to the One who gives: the giver is most valuable of the gift. Therefore, even for us, beyond what God gives us when we ask, the greatest gift he can give is his friendship, his presence, and his love. He is the precious treasure to ask for and guard all time.

Let us not forget the deep bond between the love for God and love for the neighbor that must also enter in our prayer. Our prayer opens the door to God, who teaches us to go out of our way to be able to become closer to the others, especially in moments of trial, to bring them consolation, hope and light. May Jesus the Lord allow us to be able to have a persevering and intense prayer to strengthen our personal relationship with God the Father, widen our hearts to the needs of those who are next, and feel the beauty of being “sons in the Son” together with so many brothers and sisters.

August 20, 2017

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Is 56:1, 6-7

Responsorial Psalm Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

Reading 2 Rom 11:13-15, 29-32

Alleluia Cf. Mt 4:23

Gospel Mt 15:21-28

Readings at Mass

August, 2017

Pope's Prayer Intention

Artists, That artists of our time, through their ingenuity, may help everyone discover the beauty of creation.

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A Cry That Gets Salvation, by Archbishop Follo