Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Hg 1:1-8

On the first day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius,
The word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai
to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel,
and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak:

Thus says the LORD of hosts:
This people says:
"The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD."
(Then this word of the LORD came through Haggai, the prophet:)
Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses,
while this house lies in ruins?

Now thus says the LORD of hosts:
Consider your ways!
You have sown much, but have brought in little;
you have eaten, but have not been satisfied;
You have drunk, but have not been exhilarated;
have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed;
And whoever earned wages
earned them for a bag with holes in it.

Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Consider your ways!
Go up into the hill country;
bring timber, and build the house
That I may take pleasure in it
and receive my glory, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

R.(see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R.The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R.The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R.The Lord takes delight in his people.

Alleluia Jn 14:6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 9:7-9

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.

For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian, please go here.

From: Haggai 1:1-8

Rebuilding of the temple

[1] In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of
the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the
son of She-alti-el, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the
high priest, [2] “Thus says the Lord of hosts: This people say the time has not
yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” [3] Then the word of the Lord came
by Haggai the prophet, [4] “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your pa-
neled houses, while this house lies in ruins? [5] Now therefore thus says the
Lord of hosts: Consider how you have fared. [6] You have sown much, and har-
vested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have
your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages
earns wages to put them into a bag with holes.

[7] “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider how you have fared. [8] Go up to the
hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that
I may appear in my glory, says the Lord.

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

1:1. The text appears to be following the Persian calendar, which was based on
the lunar month, with regular adjustments to keep it in line with the solar year.
The date mentioned here would be 29 April 520 BC. References to dates in
Haggai can be checked against dates found in Chronicles, Ezra and Zechariah.

The prophecy is addressed to Zerubbabel and Joshua, the two senior admini-
strators, civil and religious (cf. Ezra 3:2, 8; 4:2, 3). Zerubbabel was a grandson
of Jehoiachin, the king exiled to Babylon (cf. 1 Chron 3:16-19). St Matthew (cf.
Mt 1:12-13) includes him among the ancestors of Jesus.

1:2-15. The first oracle includes the message communicated by Haggai (vv. 2-
11) and the positive response of his audience (vv. 12-15). The words of the pro-
phet are addressed to the leaders of the people mentioned in 1:1 and also to the
“remnant” of the people (v. 14). In his oracle, the prophet plays with three ideas
— “the time”, the “house” and an invitation to “consider”. The whole line of argu-
ment is based on what the people are saying: “the time has not come to rebuild
the house of the Lord” (v. 2). The prophet pokes fun at their saying this, given
that the time has come for them to build comfortable houses for themselves and
leave the temple rebuilding for later (the “House” of the Lord: vv. 2, 4, 8, 9). There-
fore, he twice (vv. 5, 9) invites them to consider the matter; they will find that they
have worked a lot but nothing has come of it (vv. 6, 9). This leads to the conclu-
sion of the message: the earth withholds its produce because the people have
shown such distrust in God; he is the Lord of nature; he can make the land fruit-
ful — or barren.

This rallying of the people to get them to rebuild the temple may seem a minor
matter compared with the high moral tone found in the prophetical books gene-
rally. However, it derives from a profound faith: the people, whom God “created”,
will never have a proper sense of their identity unless they can see God in their
midst. This idea comes across clearly in the middle of the oracle: “build the
house . . . that I may take pleasure in it and that I may appear in my glory” (v.
8). This should be read in the context of other biblical passages that assert how
good God is to reach down to his people: “For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has
desired it for his habitation: ‘This is my resting place for ever’” (Ps 132:13-14). A
logical consequence of this is that God should be offered the best that we can
give him, and that offering should also be seen in the beauty of church decoration,
for the arts, “by their very nature, are oriented towards the infinite beauty of God
which they attempt in some way to portray by the work of human hands; they
achieve their purpose of redounding to God’s praise and glory in proportion as
they are directed the more exclusively to the single aim of turning men’s minds
devoutly toward God” (Vatican II, “Sacrosanctum Concilium”, 122).

Verses 12-15 report the people’s response. The text describes an interesting
chain of events: Haggai’s listeners “obeyed” the oracle and were filled with fear
of the Lord (v. 12); God then hastens to comfort them, assuring them, as he al-
ways did the leaders of Israel, “I am with you” (v. 13; Gen 26:3; 31:3; Ex 4:12;
Josh 1:5; etc.); and he encourages them to set out to work with a will (v. 14).
Twenty-four days have passed (v. 15; cf. v 1) since Haggai first addressed them,
but the Lord has achieved his objective. Drawing on her great experience of
friendship with God, St Teresa of Avila said something that would fit in here:
“Since he does not want to force our will, he takes whatever he is given; but he
does not give everything of himself until he sees that we have given everything
of ourselves to him” (”Way of Perfection”, 48, 4).

*********************************************************************************************
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: Luke 9:7-9

Herod’s Opinion of Jesus

[7] Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done, and he was perplexed,
because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, [8] by
some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had
risen. [9] Herod said, “John I beheaded; but who is this about whom I hear such
things?” And he sought to see Him.

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

7-9. Except for the Sadducees, all Jews believed in the resurrection of the dead,
as revealed by God in Sacred Scripture (cf. Ezekiel 37:10; Daniel 12:2 and 2
Maccabees 7:9). It was also commonly believed by Jews at the time that Elijah
or some other prophet had to appear again (Deuteronomy 19:15). This may have
been why Herod began to think that perhaps John had come back to life (Mat-
thew 14:1-2 and Mark 6:14-16), particularly since Jesus worked miracles and
people thought this power was the prerogative of those who had risen from the
dead. And yet he was aware that Christ was working miracles even before John
died (cf. John 2:23); therefore, at first, he was disconcerted. Later, as the fame
of Christ’s miracles spread, to have some sort of adequate explanation he deci-
ded, as the other Gospels tell us, that John must indeed have risen.

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

Get Universalis for Windows
— and change your life!

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading	Haggai 1:1-8 ©

'Rebuild the House'

In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord was addressed through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, high commissioner of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, as follows, ‘The Lord of Hosts says this, “This people says: The time has not yet come to rebuild the Temple of the Lord. (And the word of the Lord was addressed through the prophet Haggai, as follows:) Is this a time for you to live in your panelled houses, when this House lies in ruins? So now, the Lord of Hosts says this: Reflect carefully how things have gone for you. You have sown much and harvested little; you eat but never have enough, drink but never have your fill, put on clothes but do not feel warm. The wage earner gets his wages only to put them in a purse riddled with holes. So go to the hill country, fetch wood, and rebuild the House: I shall then take pleasure in it, and be glorified there, says the Lord.”’

Responsorial Psalm	Psalm 149:1-6,9 ©

The Lord takes delight in his people.

Alleluia!

Sing a new song to the Lord,

his praise in the assembly of the faithful.

Let Israel rejoice in its Maker,

let Zion’s sons exult in their king.

The Lord takes delight in his people.

Alleluia!

Let them praise his name with dancing

and make music with timbrel and harp.

For the Lord takes delight in his people.

He crowns the poor with salvation.

The Lord takes delight in his people.

Alleluia!

Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,

shout for joy and take their rest.

Let the praise of God be on their lips:

this honour is for all his faithful.

The Lord takes delight in his people.

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation	Ps118:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open my eyes, O Lord, that I may consider

the wonders of your law.

Alleluia!

Or:	Jn14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;

No one can come to the Father except through me.

Alleluia!

Gospel	Luke 9:7-9 ©

'John? I beheaded him; so who is this?'

Herod the tetrarch had heard about all that was being done by Jesus; and he was puzzled, because some people were saying that John had risen from the dead, others that Elijah had reappeared, still others that one of the ancient prophets had come back to life. But Herod said, ‘John? I beheaded him. So who is this I hear such reports about?’ And he was anxious to see Jesus.

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 9
7.	Now Herod, the tetrarch, heard of all things that were done by him; and he was in a doubt, because it was said	Audivit autem Herodes tetrarcha omnia quæ fiebant ab eo, et hæsitabat eo quod diceretur	ηκουσεν δε ηρωδης ο τετραρχης τα γινομενα υπ αυτου παντα και διηπορει δια το λεγεσθαι υπο τινων οτι ιωαννης εγηγερται εκ νεκρων
8.	By some, that John was risen from the dead: but by other some, that Elias had appeared; and by others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.	a quibusdam : Quia Joannes surrexit a mortuis : a quibusdam vero : Quia Elias apparuit : ab aliis autem : Quia propheta unus de antiquis surrexit.	υπο τινων δε οτι ηλιας εφανη αλλων δε οτι προφητης εις των αρχαιων ανεστη
9.	And Herod said: John I have beheaded; but who is this of whom I hear such things? And he sought to see him.	Et ait Herodes : Joannem ego decollavit : quis est autem iste, de quo ego talia audio ? Et quærebat videre eum.	και ειπεν ηρωδης ιωαννην εγω απεκεφαλισα τις δε εστιν ουτος περι ου εγω ακουω τοιαυτα και εζητει ιδειν αυτον

(*) "υπο τινων οτι ιωαννης εγηγερται εκ νεκρων" begins verse 8 in the translations.

7. Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead;
8. And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.
9. And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.

CHRYS. It was not till a long time had passed that Herod took notice of the things that were done by Jesus, (to show Ho you the pride of a tyrant,) for he did not acknowledge them at first, as it is said, Now Herod heard, &c.

THEOPHYL. Herod was the son of Herod the Great who slew the children, who was king, but this Herod was tetrarch. He inquired about Christ, who He was. Hence it follows, And he was perplexed.

CHRYS. For sinners fear both when they know, and when they are ignorant; they are afraid of shadows, are suspicious about every thing, and are alarmed at the slightest noise. Such in truth is sin; when no one blames or finds fault, it betrays a man, when no one accuses it condemns, and makes the offender timid and backward. But the cause of fear is stated afterwards, in the words, Because that it was said of some.

THEOPHYL. For the Jews expected a resurrection of the dead to a fleshly life, eating and drinking, but those that rise again will not be concerned with the deeds of the flesh.

CHRYS. When Herod then heard of the miracles which Jesus was performing, he says, John have I beheaded, which was not an expression of boasting, but by way of allaying his fears, and bringing his distracted soul to recollect that he had killed. And because he had beheaded John, he adds, but who is this.

THEOPHYL. If John is alive and has risen from the dead, I shall know him when I see him; as it follows, And he sought to see him.

AUG. Now Luke, though he keeps the same order in his narrative with Mark, does not oblige us to believe that the course of events was the same. In these words too, Mark testifies only to the fact that others (not Herod) said that John had risen from the dead, but since Luke has mentioned Herod's perplexity, we must suppose either that after that perplexity, he confirmed in his own mind what was said by others, since he says to his servants, (as Matthew relates,) This is John the Baptist, he is risen from the dead, or these words of Matthew must have been altered so as to signify that he was still doubting.

Catena Aurea Luke 9

September 26 - Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian, martyrs

Saints Cosmas and Damian’s Story

Little is known of the lives of these two saints except that they suffered martyrdom in Syria during the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian. Being prominent practitioners of medicine, it would have been hard for them to have remained unnoticed.

A church erected on the site of their burial was enlarged by the emperor Justinian. Devotion to the two saints spread rapidly in both East and West, and a famous basilica was erected in their honor in Constantinople. Their names were placed in the Roman Canon probably in the sixth century.

Legend says that they were twin brothers born in Arabia who were both skilled doctors. They were among those who are venerated in the East as the “moneyless ones” because, purportedly, they did not charge a fee for their services.

Nine centuries later, Francis of Assisi rebuilt the dilapidated San Damiano chapel outside Assisi.

Reflection

For a long time, it seems, we have been very conscious of Jesus’ miracles as proofs of his divinity. What we sometimes overlook is Jesus’ consuming interest in simply healing people’s sickness, whatever other meaning his actions had. The power that “went out from him” was indeed a sign that God was definitively breaking into human history in final fulfillment of his promises; but the love of God was also concrete in a very human heart that was concerned about the suffering of his brothers and sisters. It is a reminder to Christians that salvation is for the whole person, the unique body-spirit unity.

Saints Cosmas and Damian are the Patron Saints of:

Barbers
Pharmacists
Physicians
Surgeons

franciscanmedia.org

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 Luminous Mysteries or Mysteries of Light (Thursdays) see Rosarium Virginis Mariae
1. Jesus' Baptism in the Jordan (II Corinthians 5:21, Matthew 3:17 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Gratitude for the gift of Faith]
2. Jesus' self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana (John 2:1- 12) [Spiritual fruit - Fidelity]
3. Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with His call to conversion (Mark 1:15, Mark 2:3-13; Luke 7:47- 48, John 20:22-23) [Spiritual fruit - Desire for Holiness]
4. Jesus' Transfiguration (Luke 9:35 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Spiritual Courage]
5. Jesus' institution of the Eucharist, as the sacramental expression of the Paschal Mystery. (Luke 24:13-35 and parallels, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25) [Spiritual fruit - Love of our Eucharistic Lord]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

September 26 2019

Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Hg 1:1-8

Responsorial Psalm Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

Alleluia Jn 14:6

Gospel Lk 9:7-9

For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian, please go here.

Readings at Mass

September 26 - Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian, martyrs

Saints Cosmas and Damian’s Story

Reflection

Saints Cosmas and Damian are the Patron Saints of: