Pope’s Intention for September

The Protection of the Oceans

That politicians, scientists and economists work together to protect the world's seas and oceans."

Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

St. Francis of Assisi

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).

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: September 10th

Tuesday of the Twenty-Third Week of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

September 10, 2019 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, by whom we are redeemed and receive adoption, look graciously upon your beloved sons and daughters, that those who believe in Christ may receive true freedom and an everlasting inheritance. 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.

show

Recipes (1)

Chicken Cacciatore

show

Activities (3)

show

Prayers (3)

show

Library (1)

He Raised 100 Children from the Dead | Lucy Gordan

» Enjoy our Liturgical Seasons series of e-books!

Old Calendar: St. Nicholas of Tolentino, confessor; St. Pulcheria (Hist)

St. Nicholas of Tolentino, a native of Sant' Angelo, in the diocese of Fermo, was born about the year 1245. As a young man, but already endowed with a canon's stall, he was one day greatly affected by a sermon preached by a Hermit of St. Augustine and decided to enter this newly-founded Order. At first he lived at the hermitage of Pesaro and then at Tolentino where he died in 1305. His whole life was remarkable for its great austerity which was inspired by his great love of the cross. According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is his feast.

Historically today is the feast of St. Pulcheria, daughter of the Byzantine emperor Arcadius (395-408), was coregent and adviser of her brother Theodosius the Younger (408-450). Throughout her life she defended the Faith against various heresies. After giving away her wealth to the poor and to the Church, she died peacefully at the age of fifty-four in the year 453.

St. Nicholas of Tolentino
This Nicholas was born in answer to his mother's prayers. Childless and in middle age, she had made a pilgrimage with her husband to the shrine of St. Nicholas of Bari to ask for a son whom she promised to dedicate to God's service. When her wish was granted, she named the boy Nicholas and he soon gave unusual signs of saintliness. Already at seven he would hide away in a nearby cave and pray there like the hermits whom he had observed in the mountains.

As soon as he was old enough he was received into the Order of Augustinian friars. On account of his kind and gentle manner his superiors entrusted him with the daily feeding of the poor at the monastery gates, but at times he was so free with the friary's provisions that the procurator begged the superior to check his generosity. He was ordained in 1271 and said his first Mass with exceptional fervor; thereafter, whenever he celebrated the holy Mystery he seemed aglow with the fire of his love. His preaching, instructions and work in the confessional brought about numerous conversions, and his many miracles were responsible for more, yet he was careful not to take any credit for these miracles. "Say nothing of this," he would insist, "give thanks to God, not to me. I am only a vessel of clay, a poor sinner."

He spent the last thirty years of his life in Tolentino, where the Guelfs and the Ghibellines were in constant strife. Nicholas saw only one remedy to the violence: street preaching, and the success of this apostolic work was astounding. "He spoke of the things of heaven," says his biographer St. Antonine. "Sweetly he preached the divine word, and the words that came from his lips fell like flames of fire. Among his hearers could be seen the tears and heard the sighs of people detesting their sins and repenting of their past lives."

During the last years of his life St. Nicholas was bedridden and suffered grievously. He died surrounded by his community. In 1345 a lay Brother cut off the arms of his body intending to take them to Germany as relics, and the friars then hid his body to prevent further attempts of this kind. It has not been found to this day, but the arms have been preserved. It is recorded that they have bled on several occasions, usually, it is said, before some calamity that befell the Church or the world.

Excerpted from A Saint A Day by Berchman's Bittle, O.F.M. Cap.

Patron: Lost souls; mariners; infants; animals; dying people; souls in purgatory.

Symbols: Crucifix and wreath of lilies; flaming star; doves and dish; partridge; fountain; basket with bread rolls; bread; lily; man in black Augustinian habit holding one of the symbols; star above Augustinian; Augustinian with star on breast.

Things to Do:

A single phrase from a sermon effected St. Nicholas' conversion and made him a saint. An excellent example of the power of God's word! Christ once said, "Not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." In other terms: Bread nourishes one's physical life, the word of God nourishes one's supernatural life. Recall the parable of the sower about the seed that fell on good ground and produced abundant returns-a parable explained by Jesus Himself. The seed is the word of God. This point is particularly important. The word of God is seed containing limitless vitality. It does not yet live, but requires the good earth to burst into life, to become a living, growing plant. Spend some time today meditating on the words of the Gospel and praying that God will bring similar fruit from your life and make you a saint.
Read another account of St. Nicholas' life here.
St. Nicholas had a great love for the Holy Souls. He would offer Mass, pray and do penance for them so they could more quickly enter Heaven. Why not offer up a Mass or pray the Rosary today.
The Convento di San Nicola located in the center of the beautiful town of Tolentino is a very popular place of pilgrimage. It has one of the most important fresco cycles of the 1300s, painted by the Master of Tolentino. There are also many excellent paintings in the elegant baroque basilica, a memorable cloister, the cell where St. Nicholas of Tolentino lived, and an interesting museum containing some fine ceramics. St. Nicholas is buried in the crypt. If you read Italian or if you just like to look at photographs you might find this site about the Basilica of St. Nicholas interesting.

St. Pulcheria
“Thanks to you, the scandals stimulated by the evil spirit were suppressed. Thanks to your efforts, the whole earth today is united in the confession of the same Faith.”

With these words, Pope St. Leo the Great paid tribute to Empress Pulcheria (399-453), grand-daughter of Theodosius. She was baptized by St. John Chrysostom in Constantinople and while still very young, she made a vow of virginity along with her two younger sisters.

Six years after her father, Arcadius, died, the Senate proclaimed her Augusta (empress), and named her regent of her younger brother Theodosius II. Pulcheria was 15 years old when she assumed the full responsibility of government. It is rare in History to find so much prudence joined with such great precocity.

At age 20, Theodosius married Athenais, daughter of a pagan philosopher of Athens. His wife, who received the name Eudoxia when she was baptized, sought to weaken Pulcheria’s influence over the Emperor. Eudoxia ended by persecuting her sister-in-law and favoring the heresy of Nestorius, while St. Pulcheria supported St. Cyril of Alexandria against the heretic. Pulcheria was removed from power and withdrew from the court.

In 441 Eudoxia was exiled because of her infidelity to the Emperor, and Pulcheria returned. Theodosius was supporting the heresy of the monk Eutyches, but Pulcheria convinced him to withdraw it and follow St. Leo the Great.

In 450 Theodosius died. Pulcheria was again proclaimed Empress. One year later the Council of Chalcedon (451) - she assisted at its third session - condemned Monophysism, the heresy of Eutyches. In a letter to the Empress Pulcheria, St. Leo credited her with overcoming the heresies of Nestorius and Euthyches.

On her return from exile, she found the Empire threatened by Attila. She agreed to marry General Marcian to maintain the stability of the Empire on the condition that he respect her vow of virginity. Together they governed the Empire. Marcian persecuted the Nestorians and followers of Eutyches, recalled the Catholic Bishops who had been exiled by Theodosius, and kept Attila outside the boundaries of the Empire. St. Pulcheria died in 453 at age 54.

Excerpted from Tradition in Action

Things to Do:

Read this accout of St. Pulcheria's life in Butler's Lives of the Saints. For the historian here's The Life and Times of the Empress St. Pulcheria.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Colossians 2:6-15

23rd Week in Ordinary Time

See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy. (Colossians 2:8)

How did the Colossians get so off track? They had learned that salvation comes through Jesus’ death and resurrection, but some of them were being swayed by false teachings. Paul called these teachings not only “empty” but “seductive” (Colossians 2:8). They had a way of drawing people in.

Every age has its own seductive philosophies that have the potential to lead people away from Christ. We might encounter one as we interact with a coworker or while we’re talking with a relative at a family party. So how can we respond?

You may be tempted to overreact to what you hear and start arguing or quoting Scripture verses or Church doctrines. But even if you feel that you have something important to say, this is usually not an effective strategy. It’s likely to cause the other person to dismiss you and whatever you have to offer.

What if you tried, instead, to simply listen and ask questions? You could ask how the person came to this conclusion and why they believe it. Or you could try to find a point of mutual agreement between what they believe and your own faith in Christ.

These kinds of conversations, marked by sincerity and kindness, build trust. And trust is what builds bridges between people. If someone begins to respect and trust you, they will be more open to hearing about your own views and beliefs. Who knows? As your friendship grows, that person may actually want to hear about Jesus and how he has changed your life.

Finally, don’t forget to pray. Ask Jesus to guide the person and open their mind to him. Pray also that God will help you to grow in love for your friend and in your ability to see him as God sees him. Scholars tell us that Paul probably never met the Colossians, but he still loved them. After all, that’s why he wrote this letter to them—because he cared for them.

This kind of outreach is very much one step at a time. It involves sowing what can look like small seeds, where you don’t see a conversion in a single conversation. But just think: every seed you sow can bring that person one step closer to Christ!

“Jesus, teach me to treat people who don’t yet know you with the same love that you have for them.”

Psalm 145:1-2, 8-11
Luke 6:12-19

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

Daily Marriage Tip for September 10, 2019:

If you are praying for someone, let them know! “I’m praying for you” (sincerely meant) is a wonderful gesture of kindness. This includes your spouse and children.

Regnum Christi

September 10, 2019 – Prayer and Action

Tuesday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

Father Patrick Butler, LC

Luke 6: 12-19

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.

Introductory Prayer: God the Father, thank you for the gift of creation, including my own life. God the Son, thank you for redeeming me at the price of your own Body and Blood. God the Holy Spirit, thank you for being the sweet guest of my soul, enlightening my mind, strengthening my spirit and kindling the fire of your love in my heart.

Petition: Call me to you, Lord Jesus, and remind me of my personal mission.

A Place and a Time for Prayer: Frequently the Gospel tells me that Jesus prayed to his Father. What was his prayer like? First, he sought out a place that is appropriate for praying. Secondly, he dedicated a significant amount of time to prayer. I can see him climbing a mountain in order to spend an entire night in prayer. I can certainly learn from my Lord’s example. Imitating him, my prayer life can be enriched.

A Special Calling: Perhaps Jesus’ prayer is a bit longer than usual on this occasion. When there is an important decision to be made, he consults his Father to know his will. He does not improvise when calling twelve of his followers to be his apostles, his “sent ones,” his representatives. When Jesus calls me to do a special mission for his Kingdom, he also ensures that it accords with the eternal plan of the Father.

A Channel for God’s Grace: Having spent the night in prayer, Jesus has prepared himself to give generously of himself the following day. United to his Father, the source of all good, his actions channel this goodness towards those who are enslaved to evil spirits or in need of divine healing. Of course, Jesus is God, and he has that power in himself by his own right. However, he wants to give me an example of how to be a branch united to the vine, in order to produce fruit that will last.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I do not know how to pray as I ought. Teach me how to pray: to prepare a place and to set aside some time exclusively for prayer. So often I act without praying, relying only on my own ingenuity and intelligence. Make me see that I need your wisdom. Help me to ensure, through prayer, that my actions are conformed to your will.

Resolution: I will strive to offer at least one spontaneous prayer to God today, amid the activities of my daily life.

Homily of the Day

September 10, 2019

Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

All of us must be both teachers and students when it comes to sharing the Gospel message. We teach others through our examples of word and deed, living as committed Christians. However, we are still students, learning with the help of the Holy Spirit, what it means to live for Jesus. Every time we attend Mass, we learn through the Scriptures what it means to be a faithful Christian. In our early years, we learn our faith from our parents and from teachers in catechetical programs. As we grow older, we learn from the lessons of the Scriptures, our own life experiences, and, perhaps, Christian literature that leads us to a deeper life in Christ. We should be learners and teachers of Jesus’ Good News until we draw our last breath. We should never stop learning.

If we are going to be effective teachers, especially to the youth, we must let our words and deeds become an example for others to follow. The challenge of being called today to be students of Jesus and to be teachers of his Good News is the same as when the apostles were first called. We have to keep reminding ourselves of the original purpose of our calling. We have to keep going back to the message of Jesus in the Gospel in order to deepen the call of God for each of us. We should never think that we are insignificant in God’s plan. We are part of the history that Jesus himself is shaping and he wants us to be a part of that history as living witnesses to faith.

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espanol

All Issues > Volume 35, Issue 5

<< Tuesday, September 10, 2019 >>

Colossians 2:6-15
View Readings

Psalm 145:1-2, 8-11

Luke 6:12-19
Similar Reflections

MORE OF JESUS

"Continue, therefore, to live in Christ Jesus the Lord, in the spirit in which you received Him." �Colossians 2:6

Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus (see Acts 9:3ff). Jesus struck Saul blind and implied that Saul should stop persecuting Jesus' Church. In three days, Saul was baptized into Jesus and thereby accepted Jesus as Lord, Savior, and God. This was the beginning of Jesus' revelation of Himself to Saul.

Saul (later to be named Paul) became "rooted in [Christ] and built up in Him" (Col 2:7). Paul came to realize that "in Christ the fullness of deity resides in bodily form" (Col 2:9) and that Jesus "is the Head of every principality and power" (Col 2:10). Paul came to know more deeply that God has brought us "new life in company with Christ. He pardoned all our sins. He canceled the bond that stood against us with all its claims, snatching it up and nailing it to the cross" (Col 2:13-14). Paul came to realize that Jesus also disarmed "the principalities and powers. He made a public show of them and, leading them off captive, triumphed in the person of Christ" (Col 2:15).

Where are you in your personal knowledge of Jesus? How much new revelation of Jesus have you received in the last year? Are you letting the Holy Spirit lead you more deeply into the mystery of the person of Jesus? (see 1 Cor 2:10) Do you love Jesus more deeply than ever? Is Jesus your Life and your Love? (see Jn 14:6; 1 Jn 4:8,16)

Prayer: Father, lead me deeper into Jesus, Your Son.

Promise: "Indeed, the whole crowd was trying to touch Him because power went out from Him which cured all." —Lk 6:19

Praise: Joe, in prison on death row, has been washed clean by Jesus' blood.