'Ah! when shall we perfectly imitate our divine Redeemer, Who humbled Himself so much?'

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).

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3671738/posts?page=1

Saint of the Day — Saint Francis Solano.

Information: The Blessed Martyrs of Compiegne

Feast Day: July 17

Died: 17 July 1794 at the Place du Trône Renversé (modern Place de la Nation) in Paris, France

Beatified: 27 May 1906 by Pope Pius X

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Leo IV

Feast Day: July 17
Died: 855

St. Leo was born at Rome, in Italy and spent his life in that city. When Leo grew up he studied at the Benedictine monastery near St. Peter's Basilica to become a priest. As a priest he performed his ministry at St. John Lateran's, a large, famous basilica. Leo was well-known and loved by two popes, Gregory IV who died in 844, and Sergius II who died in 847.

Around the time Pope Sergius II died, rumors of a barbarian invasion of Saracens had the Romans terrified. Neither the people nor the cardinals wanted to be left without a pope. Leo's life changed forever, because they quickly elected him as pope and he took the name Leo IV.

As pope, Leo had the city walls around the Vatican and other areas repaired and strengthened. The walls had been damaged the previous year by a Saracen attack. He made the churches more beautiful and had St. Peter's Basilica rebuilt. He brought many relics (remains of things that were holy) to Rome.

He called a meeting of all Roman priests and passed forty-two rules which helped priests live more fervent, prayerful and joy-filled lives. A few bishops lived bad lives and this caused Leo great suffering. They boldly faced the pope and would not change their wrong ways. No matter how much Pope Leo was hurt, he was always fair, patient and humble. He never let his troubles dishearten him but gave all his time and energy for Jesus and his Church.

He loved the beautiful prayers of the liturgy and encouraged liturgical chant and music. People loved St. Leo and with God's grace he performed many miracles. It is said that he was responsible for stopping the terrible fire in the English quarter of Rome.

Pope Leo IV continued serving the Church with cheerfulness right up to the end of his life. He died on July 17, 855.

Reflection: "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."- (Jn15: 13)

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Tuesday, July 17

Liturgical Color: Red

The Church dedicates the month of
October to the Blessed Virgin of the
Rosary. As we pray the rosary we can
look to Our Lady for comfort as she
directs us towards her Son.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: July 17th

Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

July 17, 2018 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, who show the light of your truth to those who go astray, so that they may return to the right path, give all who for the faith they profess are accounted Christians the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ and to strive after all that does it honor. 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. Alexis, confessor; The Blessed Martyrs of Compiegne (Hist)

St. Alexius was an Eastern saint whose veneration was transplanted from the Byzantine empire to Rome, whence it spread rapidly throughout western Christendom. Together with the name and veneration of the Saint, his legend was made known to Rome and the West by means of Latin versions based on the form current in the Byzantine Orient. He was famous for his extraordinary self-denial. Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar today was his feast.

Historically today is the feast of the Blessed Martyrs of Compiegne, sixteen Carmelites who are the first martyrs of the French Revolution that have been recognized. They were guillotined on 17 July 1794 at the Place du Trône Renversé (modern Place de la Nation) in Paris, France.

St. Alexis
To what extent the life and Acts of this saint are historical, whether this "man of God," as he was and is called in the Orient, lived in the East or at Rome — these are questions we here must pass over. The story of St. Alexius, one of the most edifying in Christian hagiography, presents a glorious illustration of that Christian ideal of perfection which for Christ's sake embraces poverty and humiliations. Is it possible to be more heroic than to live for seventeen years under the steps in one's own house, to endure the wanton affronts of one's father's slaves, to remain as an unknown beggar to father, mother, and a bride still longing for her spouse? And for Alexius all this was motivated by an insurmountable love of Christ! Even supposing the legend to lack an historical kernel, it still would be marvelous to find a religion that could create such an ideal.

The Breviary gives these details. Alexius belonged to a noble Roman family. Prompted by a special divine illumination and moved by an ardent love for Jesus Christ, he left his maiden bride upon their wedding day and began a pilgrimage to the more illustrious churches of Christendom. He had devoted seventeen years to this pilgrimage and was at Edessa, a Syrian city, when his holiness was revealed by a picture of the Blessed Virgin that uttered his name. He left the place and by boat arrived at the port of Rome. His father received him as a traveling stranger and he remained there seventeen years, living under the stairs of the house unrecognized by anyone. Only after his death were documents found giving his name, family, and a kind of autobiography. He died July 17, 417, during the pontificate of Pope Innocent I.

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

Patron: Of beggars and pilgrims.

Symbols: A beggar or pilgrim holding a staircase (his emblem); asleep by the stairs, dirty water emptied on him; as a pilgrim with a staff and scrip; as a pilgrim, kneeling before the pope, to whom he gives a letter.

Things to Do:

Today would be a good time to reflect on poverty of spirit. We have brought nothing into the world, neither can we take anything out. Having food and clothing, let us be content. Those who wish to become rich will fall into temptation and into the snares of the devil because the love of money is the root of all evil. How powerful these words sound coming from the lips of St. Alexius, for he actually lived them in all their bitter implications. He left all and followed the Lord. Examine yourself on how detached you are from material things. Offer your rosary or a prayer that you will have the grace to be poor in spirit.
Learn more about St. Alexis here.

The Blessed Martyrs of Compiegne
On July 17, 1794, sixteen Carmelites caught up in the French Revolution were guillotined at the Place du Trône Renversé (now called Place de la Nation), in Paris.

When the revolution started in 1789, a group of twenty-one discalced Carmelites lived in a monastery in Compiegne France, founded in 1641. The monastery was ordered closed in 1790 by the Revolutionary government, and the nuns were disbanded. Sixteen of the nuns were accused of living in a religious community in 1794. They were arrested on June 22 and imprisoned in a Visitation convent in Compiegne There they openly resumed their religious life.

For a full twenty months before their execution, the sisters came together in an act of consecration “whereby each member of the community would join with the others in offering herself daily to God, soul and body in holocaust to restore peace to France and to her Church.”

The nuns were not just mere victims of the Revolution overcome by circumstances. Each contemplated her martyrdom; each understood her offering. Each sought that “greater love” of giving herself for her fellow man in imitation of the Divine Lamb Who redeemed humanity.

On July 12, 1794, the Carmelites were taken to Paris and five days later were sentenced to death. Before their execution they knelt and chanted the "Veni Creator", as at a profession, after which they all renewed aloud their baptismal and religious vows. They went to the guillotine singing the Salve Regina. They were beatified in 1906 by Pope St. Pius X.

The Carmelites were: Marie Claude Brard; Madeleine Brideau, the subprior; Maire Croissy, grandniece of Colbert Marie Dufour; Marie Hanisset; Marie Meunier, a novice; Rose de Neufville Annette Pebras; Anne Piedcourt: Madeleine Lidoine, the prioress; Angelique Roussel; Catherine Soiron and Therese Soiron, both extern sisters, natives of Compiegne and blood sisters: Anne Mary Thouret; Marie Trezelle; and Eliza beth Verolot. The martyrdom of the nuns was immortalized by the composer Francois Poulenc in his famous opera Dialogues des Carmelites.

Excerpted from Catholic Fire

Things to Do:

You can learn more about the Carmelite Martyrs in Gertrud von le Fort's historical novel, "Song at the Scaffold", William Bush's "To Quell the Terror", or go here and read Terrye Newkirk's excellent essay.
Visit this website for more information.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Isaiah 7:1-9

15th Week in Ordinary Time

Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm! (Isaiah 7:9)

King Ahaz and the people of Judah trembled with fear. Enemy forces had begun a siege on Jerusalem and were poised to invade the holy city. In fear for his people and his own life, Ahaz began contemplating the unthinkable: perhaps he should seek help from the mighty Assyrian army to stave off this attack. The problem with such a strategy? Ahaz would have to surrender to Assyria and turn Judah into a vassal state. Even worse, he would have to remove the altar of the Lord from the Temple and erect an altar to the Assyrians’ gods in its place—and offer sacrifices to these gods.

In response to this strategy, the Lord sent the prophet Isaiah to urge Ahaz to hold firm. “Remain tranquil and do not fear,” he told the king (Isaiah 7:4). He told him to cling to his faith in God’s ability to protect him and his people. Without that faith, neither he nor Jerusalem would be able to stand.

Isaiah’s words show us that faith really does matter. It mattered for Ahaz, and it matters for us. Faith sets the foundation of our lives, just as a house’s foundation provides a solid footing for the building and a safe environment for the people who live there.

Our faith in Jesus can do the same for us. It grounds us so that we can live with hope, even in the most challenging of environments. It equips us to meet tough situations with peace. It helps us to remain on the path of obedience. Best of all, it brings us joy and comfort because it tells us that God is with us and that our difficulties are never the end of the story.

We all have situations that tempt our faith—an illness, perhaps, or a job change or a wounded relationship. But just as he told Ahaz, God says to us, “Stand firm in your faith!”

Ahaz’ situation seemed desperate, but God had an answer for him. Even so, our challenges may seem insurmountable, but God has an answer for us as well. It may not always be the answer we are looking for, but in faith, we can trust that it’s the best answer possible.

“Jesus, I believe that you are with me. Help me to stand firm in my faith today.”

Psalm 48:2-8
Matthew 11:20-24

Daily Gospel Commentary

Saint Jacob of Sarug (c.449-521)
Syrian monk and Bishop
Poem

To be converted and return to the Lord

I will go back to my Father's house like the prodigal son (Lk 15:18) and he will welcome me. I shall do what he himself has done: will he not grant it me?...For I was dead through sin as though by sickness; raise me up from my distress that I may praise your name! O Lord of heaven and earth, come to my help and show me your way that I may come to you. Draw me to you, Son of the Most Good, and bring your compassion to completion. I will set out towards you and there be filled with joy. Knead for me now the grain of life at this time when I am crushed.

I set out in search of you and the Evil One spied on me like a thief (cf. Lk 10:30). He bound and chained me in the pleasures of this wicked world: he imprisoned me in its pleasures and slammed the door in my face. There was no one to free me so that I might set out in search of you, O Lord, my good!... O Lord, I long to be yours and walk your way. See how I meditate your commandments by day and by night (Ps 1:2). Grant my request and accept my prayer, O merciful one! Do not cast off the hope of your servant, for he is waiting for you.

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

Daily Marriage Tip for July 17, 2018:

Happiness tip #1: As humans we all seek happiness, but what the world suggests will make us happy is often temporary bliss. A loving spouse can be a doorway to happiness, but being happy often results from giving it away. Bring some happiness to another today.

Regnum Christi

July 17th, 2018 – Harsh or Rash Judgement

Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Father Shawn Aaron, LC [Matthew 11: 20-24]

Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld. For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Introductory Prayer: God our Father, you are my shelter against the burning heat of the day and the storms of life. I know and I believe that I can count on your help when I stumble, that you will catch me when I fall and guide my steps firmly in faith toward the promise of eternal life.

Petition: Jesus, help me to seek you with a sincere heart.

Blessings and Responsibility: Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more (cf. Luke 12:48). With every blessing comes a degree of responsibility. The mighty deeds worked in these towns were not seen by everyone in Israel, let alone the world. Therefore, those who do see them have a greater responsibility than those who do not. Jesus reproaches them so as to awaken them from their stupor. Since the miracles have not moved them to a deeper faith, then perhaps the reminder that they will one day be answerable to God might. Do I need a similar fear of punishment to drive me from my sins, or am I more focused on pleasing God in the details of my life?

The Goal is Repentance: The goal of all of Jesus’ signs is to bring about a change of heart. Even in the Old Testament, the signs and wonders worked by Yahweh were intended to elicit a response of faith and trust from Israel. The danger for Israel, as for Jesus’ listeners and for us, is to become accustomed to these signs and to demand more signs, thus losing sight of their purpose – a redirection of our life from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness. Like Herod, we want to be dazzled by Jesus’ miracles, but we do not want to change our lives. Jesus never works a miracle in order to impress, but only to convert a heart back to God or to bring it into deeper union with God.

Reward or Punishment: We can learn a great deal from this strong phrase: Firstly, that we will be judged for our actions and our omissions; secondly, that judgment from God has varying degrees. Since God sees and knows perfectly, the judgment will be objective; those who knew less will be judged less strictly. In other words, Sodom, Tyre and Sidon will indeed be judged, but according to natural law and not according to Christian faith, which they did not have access to at the time. Finally, but not exhaustively, we can deduce that there will be different gradations in heaven and hell according to how well our actions corresponded to what we knew to be true and good. This knowledge should stimulate us to be more generous with God and more centered on things that are above. Our Lord will handsomely reward our smallest good deed.

Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, open my eyes to the constant workings of your grace in my life. Never allow me to become complacent or to undervalue the tremendous gift of faith in my life. Thank you for reminding me of the importance of my daily decisions. Mother Most Pure, make my heart only for Jesus.

Resolution: Today I will read nos. 1783-1785 from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Homily of the Day

July 17, 2018

In both readings today we are reminded of faith and trust in God.

In the first reading the prophet Isaiah reminds King Ahaz of Israel’s covenant with God and that Israel must rely on the Covenant and God’s continuing protection.

In the Gospel reading Jesus denounces the cities in which he had preached and performed many of his miracles. Despite his many great deeds, very few received his message and repented in Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. Jesus tells them that, if his great deeds and miracles had been performed in Tyre, Sidon and Sodom, the people in those places would have listened and repented.

We may no longer worship false gods and images, as the ancient Greeks and Romans did; but we do have many gods in our lives- money and success, power and prestige, the approval of others and our own self-esteem, sex and drugs – the list goes on. The evil one is very good in turning what may be good in itself into idols to replace God in our lives. In pursuing these, we may be shutting out the voice and values of Christ in our lives..

Despite the many good things and talents God has given us, we can forget about him in our pursuit of these false gods and values. We can be so attached to our own will and “success” that we forget God’s will and values.

Let us heed the warnings in today’s readings that we may discern God and his actions in our lives, repent and keep his commandments.

One Bread, One Body

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<< Tuesday, July 17, 2018 >>

Isaiah 7:1-9
View Readings

Psalm 48:2-8

Matthew 11:20-24
Similar Reflections

WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON JUDGMENT DAY?

"I assure you, it will go easier for Tyre and Sidon than for you on the day of judgment." �Matthew 11:22

Although many people don't want to talk or think about it, it is a fact that "we shall all have to appear before the judgment seat of God" (Rm 14:10). After dying (Heb 9:27) and at the end of the world (Mt 25:31), each person will be "judged according to his conduct" (Rv 20:13). The Lord "will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and manifest the intentions of hearts" (1 Cor 4:5). Those who have lost their lives (Lk 9:24) by totally giving them to Jesus will be saved. Those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior, Lord, and God will be saved (Acts 16:30-31). Those baptized and living their Baptisms in love (Mk 16:16) will be saved, enter into eternal life, and see Jesus face to face (1 Jn 3:2).

Those who have turned away from God by serious mortal sin will be judged worthy of eternal punishment (see Mt 25:46). They will be judged as having decided to be "apart from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might" (2 Thes 1:9). They will be thrown out into the night to wail and grind their teeth (Mt 22:13). "Their lot is the fiery pool of burning sulphur, the second death!" (Rv 21:8)

Do not be so foolish as to forget about Judgment Day. But do not worry about it. Now give your life totally to Jesus, the Judge (Jn 5:22), Who is Love (1 Jn 4:16).

Prayer: Father, thank You for telling me the truth in love (see Eph 4:15).

Promise: "Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!" —Is 7:9

Praise: Jane spends her Sunday afternoons taking Holy Communion to the homebound.

St. Leo IV

Ordinary Time: July 17th

Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

COLLECT PRAYER

Recipes (1)

Activities (1)

Prayers (2)

Library (0)

Meditation: Isaiah 7:1-9

July 17th, 2018 – Harsh or Rash Judgement

One Bread, One Body

WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON JUDGMENT DAY?

Or was it planned?