October, 2017

Pope's Prayer Intention

Workers and the Unemployed, That all workers may receive respect and protection of their rights, and that the unemployed may receive the opportunity to contribute to the common good.

Thursday of the Twenty-sixth week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Benedict XVI, pope from 2005 to 2013
Message for the World Mission Day 2006 (Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

"Charity: soul of the mission"

Unless the mission is oriented by charity, that is, unless it springs from a profound act of divine love, it risks being reduced to mere philanthropic and social activity. In fact, God's love for every person constitutes the heart of the experience and proclamation of the Gospel, and those who welcome it in turn become its witnesses. God's love, which gives life to the world, is the love that was given to us in Jesus, the Word of salvation, perfect icon of the Heavenly Father's mercy.

The saving message can be summed up well, therefore, in the words of John the Evangelist: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him" (I Jn 4: 9). It was after his Resurrection that Jesus gave the Apostles the mandate to proclaim the news of this love, and the Apostles, inwardly transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, began to bear witness to the Lord who had died and was risen. Ever since, the Church has continued this same mission, which is an indispensable and ongoing commitment for all believers.

'To do well and to feel that we do nothing well is a sign of deep humility.'

St. Paul of the Cross

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).

Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Fr. Don Miller, OFM

<em>Saint Faustyna and Jesus, I Trust in You sculpture</em> | Piotrków Trybunalski

Image: Saint Faustyna and Jesus, I Trust in You sculpture | Piotrków Trybunalski

Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Saint of the Day for October 5

(August 25, 1905 – October 5, 1938)

Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska’s Story

Saint Faustina’s name is forever linked to the annual feast of the Divine Mercy, the Divine Mercy chaplet, and the Divine Mercy prayer recited each day at 3 p.m. by many people.

Born in what is now west-central Poland, Helena Kowalska was the third of 10 children. She worked as a housekeeper in three cities before joining the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1925. She worked as a cook, gardener and porter in three of their houses.

In addition to carrying out her work faithfully, generously serving the needs of the sisters and the local people, Sister Faustina also had a deep interior life. This included receiving revelations from the Lord Jesus, messages that she recorded in her diary at the request of Christ and of her confessors.

At a time when some Catholics had an image of God as such a strict judge that they might be tempted to despair about the possibility of being forgiven, Jesus chose to emphasize his mercy and forgiveness for sins acknowledged and confessed. “I do not want to punish aching mankind,” he once told Saint Faustina, “but I desire to heal it, pressing it to my merciful heart.” The two rays emanating from Christ’s heart, she said, represent the blood and water poured out after Jesus’ death.

Because Sister Maria Faustina knew that the revelations she had already received did not constitute holiness itself, she wrote in her diary: “Neither graces, nor revelations, nor raptures, nor gifts granted to a soul make it perfect, but rather the intimate union of the soul with God. These gifts are merely ornaments of the soul, but constitute neither its essence nor its perfection. My sanctity and perfection consist in the close union of my will with the will of God.”

Sister Maria Faustina died of tuberculosis in Krakow, Poland, on October 5, 1938. Pope John Paul II beatified her in 1993, and canonized her seven years later.

Reflection

Devotion to God’s Divine Mercy bears some resemblance to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In both cases, sinners are encouraged not to despair, not to doubt God’s willingness to forgive them if they repent. As Psalm 136 says in each of its 26 verses, “God’s love [mercy] endures forever.”

Saint Faustina, a Doctor of the Church? [Catholic Caucus]

Tender Mercies: The Story of St. Faustina Kowalska and Divine Mercy Sunday
Divine Mercy Sunday - message from Saint Faustina Kowalska and link to JPII
75th Anniversary of the appearance of Jesus to St. Faustina to prepare world for 2nd Coming
Divine Mercy
The Message of Divine Mercy
Divine Mercy
Chaplet of Divine Mercy
A New Doctor of the Church? (Why St. Faustina Deserves This Rare Honor and Title)
Miracle Cure Brings Sainthood to Polish Nun (Divine Mercy)
Inculturation at Papal Masses; next, Poland and St. Faustina

Information: St. Faustina Kowalska

Feast Day: October 5

Born: 25 August 1905, Głogowiec, Poland

Died: October 5, 1938, Kraków, Poland

Canonized: 30 April 2000, Pope John Paul II

Major Shrine: Shrine of Divine Mercy in Łagiewniki, Kraków, Poland

Patron of: World Youth Day

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Flora of Beaulieu

Feast Day: October 5
Born: 1309 :: Died: 1347

Flora was born at Auvergne in France and grew up in a very loving family. When her parents tried to arrange a marriage for her she pleaded with them and said that she would like to join the convent.

They finally agreed and at the age of 13, she joined the sisters of St. John of Jerusalem at Beaulieu. She was an innocent, good girl who gave herself to God as his spouse.

God rewarded her love by making her strong and helping her resist all kinds of trials and temptations. She spent all her time looking after the poor and the sick in the hospital attached to the convent.

She sometimes felt that she was leading too comfortable a life. At other times, when the other sisters often made fun of her, it was too hard and feeling sad she would be tempted to return home to her family.

Yet, because she kept trying to love God, Sister Flora grew dearer and dearer to him. At last, he blessed her with wonderful visions and the gift of knowing the future.

She also received the gift of suffering the pain of Christ's cross. She seemed to feel it pressing into her, making a wound in her side. She joyfully accepted this suffering out of her great love for Jesus.

Soon, people realized that Sister Flora was very holy and special. They came to ask for prayers and advice until she died in 1347.

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Thursday, October 5

Liturgical Color: Green

Today is the optional memorial
of St. Faustina. St. Faustina
developed a deep spiritual life
arising from her strong devotion
to the Blessed Sacrament and
Our Lady. She died in 1938 and
was canonized 62 years later in
2000.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: October 5th

St. Faustina Kowalska, virgin

MASS READINGS

October 05, 2017 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Almighty ever-living God, who in the abundance of your kindness surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you, pour out your mercy upon us to pardon what conscience dreads and to give what prayer does not dare to ask. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

O God, who in a wondrous manner revealed the inexhaustible riches of your mercy to Saint Maria Faustina, grant, we beseech you, that by looking with trust upon the pierced side of your Son we may be strengthened to show mercy one to another and, at length, sing forever of your mercy in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

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Recipes (5)

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Activities (3)

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Prayers (3)

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Library (3)

Old Calendar: St. Placid and His Companions, martyrs

Newly canonized in 2000, some areas celebrate the Optional Memorial of St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun who was chosen by Jesus to remind the world of the mystery of God's merciful love, the devotion to Divine Mercy.

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the commemoration of St. Placid and His Companions. St. Placid was placed in the care of St. Benedict at Subiaco by his father when quite young. There had been a group of fourth-century Sicilian martyrs of whom one had the name Placid. This Placid was erroneously identified with the disciple of St. Benedict; thus arose the legend that the monk Placid, his sister, and thirty monks suffered martyrdom in the port of Messina at the hands of pirates.

St. Faustina Kowalska, Virgin
Saint Faustina was born in the 20th century, and canonized in the year 2000. Jesus chose her to deliver to the modern world a message as old as eternity. It is the message of his love for all people, especially sinners. Jesus said to Faustina, "Today I am sending you with my mercy to the people of the whole world." It is his desire to heal the aching world, to draw all people into his merciful heart of love.

On February 22, 1931, Jesus appeared to Faustina as the King of Divine Mercy. He asked her to have a picture painted of him as she saw him — clothed in white, with red and white rays of light streaming from his heart. The rays represent the blood and water that flowed from the side of Jesus on the cross. Under the image are the words, "Jesus, I trust in you."

Many people did not believe Faustina at first. The sisters in her own convent thought that Jesus could not possibly have selected her for this great favor. After all, she was an uneducated peasant girl. Her superiors often refused to give her permission to carry out Jesus' requests. Church theologians, too, doubted her word. Jesus told Faustina that he loved her obedience and that his will would be done in the end.

In June 1934 an artist completed the painting of the Divine Mercy according to her instructions; and it soon became a focus for devotion. Faustina continued to record in her diary the appearances of Jesus. The diary was translated into English and published in 1987 with the title Divine Mercy in My Soul.

Faustina, baptized Helena, had grown up in a poor Polish family of 10 children. When she was 15 years old, she quit school in order to work as a housemaid to help support her family. By the time she was 18, she was sure that God was calling her to a religious life, but her parents objected. So she tried to put it out of her mind. But one night, while the lively polka music was playing at a village dance, Helena saw Jesus, sad and suffering. The very next day she packed a small bag and went to the capital city of Warsaw to join the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. There she received the name Sister Mary Faustina.

About 10 years later, Faustina contracted tuberculosis. Soon she was too weak to manage the heavy gardening assigned to her. So she was given the job of gatekeeper. She was able to show mercy to the poor people who came to the convent looking for food. Once Jesus came to the door as a poor young man. After he had eaten the soup and bread Faustina gave him, she recognized him. Jesus told her he had come to experience with great joy her tender love and mercy.

Faustina was canonized by the first Polish pope, John Paul II, on April 30, 2000. The first Sunday after Easter was declared Divine Mercy Sunday.

Excerpted from Saints and Feast Days: A Resource and Activity Book by The Sisters of Notre Dame of Chardon, Ohio.

Symbols: young nun in habit; nun with vision of Jesus, with two streams of light, one red and white (Divine Mercy image).

Things to Do:

Read a short biography of Sr. Mary Faustina Kowalska from the Vatican.
Read the Holy Father's April 30, 2000 Homily at the solemn Mass celebrated for the canonization of Sr. Mary Faustina Kowalska.
From the Directory on Popular Piety and Liturgy: Devotion to the Divine Mercy
In connection with the octave of Easter, recent years have witnessed the development and diffusion of a special devotion to the Divine Mercy based on the writings of Sr. Faustina Kowalska who was canonized 30 April 2000. It concentrates on the mercy poured forth in Christ's death and resurrection, fount of the Holy Spirit who forgives sins and restores joy at having been redeemed. Since the liturgy of the Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday — as it is now called — is the natural locus in which to express man's acceptance of the Redeemer's mercy, the faithful should be taught to understand this devotion in the light of the liturgical celebrations of these Easter days. Indeed, "the paschal Christ is the definitive incarnation of mercy, his living sign which is both historico-salvific and eschatological. At the same time, the Easter liturgy places the words of the psalm on our lips: "I shall sing forever of the Lord's mercy" (Ps 89[88]: 2).
Read more from our Catholic Culture library about the Divine Mercy devotion, in particular, a short description of The Divine Mercy devotion
St. Faustina came from Poland. John Paul II was also Polish, and had a great devotion to the Divine Mercy. He made it a feast day on the second Sunday after Easter. Find out more about Poland and its customs. It's a very Catholic country, with deep devotion to Our Lady. A wonderful book that gives a wonderful understanding of the culture is the Pope's biography A Witness to Hope by George Wiegel. This site contains many Polish Traditions. The Polish Art Center has many resources for Polish customs.
Try your hand at a Polish dish or two. Perhaps practice making some of the favorite foods for the Polish Wigilia (Christmas Eve Dinner) Pierogi (or Pirohi) is one of the most popular Polish foods, but do some research to find other recipes.

St. Placid and His Companions
St. Placid was born in Rome, in the year 515, of a patrician family. When he was seven years old he was brought to St. Benedict by his father, to be trained in monastic life. He became the most illustrious member in the circle of Benedict's first followers. Alongside the awe-inspiring figure of the holy patriarch stands little Placid, and with the innocent simplicity of a child he does much to soften the austerity emanating from the patriarch of monks. Pope St. Gregory devotes several chapters to Placid in his second book of Dialogues. "Once while blessed Benedict was in his room, one of his monks, the boy Placid, went down to get some water. In letting the bucket fill too rapidly, he lost his balance and was pulled into the lake, where the current quickly seized him and carried him about a stone's throw from the shore. Though inside the monastery at the time, the man of God was instantly aware of what had happened and called out to Maurus: 'Hurry, Brother Maurus! The boy who just went down for water has fallen into the lake, and the current is carrying him away.'

"What followed was remarkable indeed, and unheard of since the time of Peter the apostle! Maurus asked for the blessing and on receiving it hurried out to fulfill his abbot's command. He kept on running even over the water till he reached the place where Placid was drifting along helplessly. Pulling him up by the hair, Maurus rushed back to shore, still under the impression that he was on dry land. It was only when he set foot on the ground that he came to himself and looking back realized that he had been running on the surface of the water. Overcome with fear and amazement at a deed he would never have thought possible, he returned to his abbot and told him what had taken place.

"The holy man would not take any personal credit for the deed but attributed it to the obedience of his disciple. Maurus on the contrary claimed that it was due entirely to his abbot's command. He could not have been responsible for the miracle himself, he said, since he had not even known he was performing it. While they were carrying on this friendly contest of humility, the question was settled by the boy who had been rescued. 'When I was being drawn out of the water,' he told them, 'I saw the abbot's cloak over my head; he is the one I thought was bringing me to shore.'" (From The Life and Miracles of St. Benedict by Pope Gregory the Great, translated by Odo Zimmermann, O.S.B. and Benedict Avery, O.S.B.)

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

Symbols: Tongue and knife; crescent; sword.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 10:1-12

Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, Priest (Optional Memorial)

The harvest is abundant. (Luke 10:2)

When Jesus spoke about a “harvest,” was he just talking about crops? Of course not! He was speaking about all the people who were waiting to hear the good news. The “harvest” consisted in the vast number of souls ready to believe in him, longing to enter into the kingdom of God—whether they knew it or not. As we pray today, let’s reflect on this harvest:

The harvest is abundant. “Father, you are master of the harvest, the One who sows the seed and sustains its growth. Everything is under your watchful eye. You plant seeds of faith in each person’s heart. You nourish these seeds and make them sprout and grow. It may be through a word spoken, the offer of a helping hand, or an unexpected stirring in the heart. It can be any number of other ways, but no matter how it happens, it is your doing as you seek to draw people back to yourself.”

The harvest is abundant. “Father, it is you who water the seed. You provide the nourishment that everyone needs to bring to life the seeds of faith you planted in them. You give the beauty of the created world, faithful friends, godly spouses, challenging children. All these gifts help the roots dig deep into the soil. You know each specific situation, and you know how to make that seed come to full growth. Sometimes we can’t see growth in people and situations we worry about. But no matter what, we trust you.”

The harvest is abundant. “Father, you send us as laborers into your harvest. You ask us to gather the fruit of all you have done in people’s lives. You also promise us your grace to help us do the work. You place us in situations where we can reflect your love. You send us people whom we can accompany along the path of discovering you. Thank you for this grace!”

The harvest is abundant. “Lord, even in my family and among my friends, there are people who have a hard time believing you or who have drifted away from your Church. They too are part of your harvest. Lord, I trust that you will show me how to help them come closer to you.”

“Here I am, Father. I want to be a laborer in your harvest. Use me to draw your people into your kingdom!”

Nehemiah 8:1-12
Psalm 19:8-11

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

Daily Marriage Tip for October 5, 2017:

Are you and your spouse compatible spenders/savers? You don’t have to have the same “money personality,” but be sure to keep the lines of communication open as you and your spouse consider the needs of your family.

Regnum Christi

October 5, 2017 – Bumper Crop

05 Oct 2017

Thursday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Father Edward McIlmail, LC

Luke 10: 1-12

Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, ‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.’ Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.”

Introductory Prayer: Good Jesus, thank you for this opportunity to speak with you again and to listen to you. I know that you have longed for this moment we will spend together. You silently wait for hours in the tabernacle, hoping that one of your friends will come to make a visit. You always have something to say when we finally turn to you, so I willingly set aside all distractions and give you my undivided attention.

Petition: Grant me, Lord, the grace to accept your instructions with a great spirit of simplicity.

1. The Harvest: The Holy Spirit works constantly to stir up souls and prompt them to turn their lives toward God. He nudges them when they listen to Scripture or a homily. He speaks to them in the little events of day-to-day life. But there is often one other ingredient he uses to reach souls: He uses us. He uses our example, our words, our drawing close to others. This is why Our Lord speaks of a crop waiting to be harvested. Harvesting is all about toil and timing. Crops not brought in quickly rot in the field. What harvest of souls might Our Lord be asking me to help with? It might be an engaged couple who need to be helped in their faith. It might be a sick relative who needs to prepare spiritually for death. It might be a troubled teen who needs guidance to keep on the right path. All these could be souls who need help now. Will I respond?

2. Full-time Laborers: Besides the work that all of us are called to do by our baptism, there is also a need for people who dedicate their entire lives to the mission of evangelization. Priests especially are needed, to confect the Eucharist and to grant absolution within the sacrament of reconciliation. The principle outlined in the first point of this meditation applies here as well: The Holy Spirit inspires new vocations, and frequently he depends on others to promote this work. Do I join in this crucial work for the Church? Do I encourage vocations? Do I speak well of priests and religious? Am I willing to let a son or daughter, a brother or sister, pursue a vocation? Do I see that the vocation I encourage today might be the vocation that helps save the soul of a child or grandchildren in the future?

3. Details Matter: Jesus’ precise instructions to his disciples show that details matter to him. Our Lord doesn’t leave anything to chance. He has a system for how to evangelize, and it is crucial that the disciples follow his orders precisely. This reminds us that work of evangelization and building the Kingdom is Jesus’, and as such he makes the rules. Free-lance evangelization doesn’t substitute for what Christ wants. This principle applies to all walks of life. Hence, there are rules that regulate conduct within marriage and before marriage. There are guidelines as to what lawmakers can and cannot support, and how businesspeople should and should not treat their employees and customers. Might I think that I’m exempt from Christ’s rules? Might I be living my faith on my terms, rather than on Christ’s?

Conversation with Christ: Lord, help me avoid fooling myself that I’m doing your will, when in fact I might be following my own whims. Let me appreciate that there is a teamwork aspect to the Christian life that helps me grow in patience and humility.

Resolution: I will pray or offer up a sacrifice for vocations, or speak of vocations to at least one person, either by word or by e-mail.

Homily of the Day

October 5, 2017

In the first reading Ezra leads the people in confirming their covenant with Yahweh as he read to them from the Book of the Law of Moses. “Amen! Amen!” they responded.

In the Gospel reading Jesus sends off his disciples to preach the Good News and spread the Kingdom of God. They told people about life with God.

Pope St. John Paul II often spoke of the “Culture of Life,” as opposed to the “Culture of Death.” God gives us the Holy Spirit to bring us the fullness of life. To live this true “Culture of Life,” we have to give up inordinate inclinations centering on ourselves.

To preach the Good News is also to transform individuals and communities with God’s grace so that they live in God’s peace and joy.

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espa�ol

All Issues > Volume 33, Issue 6

<< Thursday, October 5, 2017 >>

Nehemiah 8:1-12
View Readings

Psalm 19:8-11

Luke 10:1-12
Similar Reflections

HIS WORD

"Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God." �Nehemiah 8:8

"In the beginning was the Word" (Jn 1:1). "Your rebirth has come, not from a destructible but from an indestructible seed, through the living and enduring word of God" (1 Pt 1:23). "He wills to bring us to birth with a word spoken in truth" (Jas 1:18).

"The seed is the word" (Lk 8:11), which is the beginning of life, birth, revival, and renewal. At the beginning of world evangelization, Church renewal, and family restoration is the Word of God. Ezra began the revival of the Israelites by reading "out of the book from daybreak until midday," "interpreting it so that all could understand what was read" (Neh 8:3, 8). "All the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law" (Neh 8:9). When Ezra finished reading, "all the people went to eat and drink, to distribute portions, and to celebrate with great joy, for they understood the words that had been expounded to them" (Neh 8:12).

Jesus began forming a new people on the day He rose from the dead. He "explained the Scriptures" to two disciples and set their hearts on fire (Lk 24:32). "God's word is living and effective" (Heb 4:12). It does not return void, but does God's will, "achieving the end" for which He sent it (Is 55:11). Dry bones rattle when the Word of God is proclaimed (Ez 37:7).

God's Word is changing the world at this moment. Will you let His Word change you?

Prayer: Jesus, may Your Word burn in my heart today.

Promise: "The harvest is rich but the workers are few; therefore ask the Harvest-Master to send workers to His harvest." �Lk 10:2

Praise: Sarah opened her Bible, but unexpectedly the Word became alive to her. Praise You, Holy Spirit, for inspiring your people to faith.