Friday after Ash Wednesday

Reading 1 Is 58:1-9a

Thus says the Lord GOD:
Cry out full-throated and unsparingly,
lift up your voice like a trumpet blast;
Tell my people their wickedness,
and the house of Jacob their sins.
They seek me day after day,
and desire to know my ways,
Like a nation that has done what is just
and not abandoned the law of their God;
They ask me to declare what is due them,
pleased to gain access to God.
“Why do we fast, and you do not see it?
afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?”

Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits,
and drive all your laborers.
Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting,
striking with wicked claw.
Would that today you might fast
so as to make your voice heard on high!
Is this the manner of fasting I wish,
of keeping a day of penance:
That a man bow his head like a reed
and lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!

Responsorial Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19

R. (19b) A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

Verse Before the GospelAm 5:14

Seek good and not evil so that you may live,
and the Lord will be with you.

Gospel Mt 9:14-15

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
“Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast.”

From: Isaiah 58:1-9a

Misguided Fasting Denounced

(Thus says the LORD God), [1] “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. [2] Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;. they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God. [3] ’Why have we fasted, and thou seest it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and thou takest no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. [4] Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. [5] Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD?

[6] “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? [7] Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? [8] Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. [9a] Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am.”

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Commentary:

58:1-14. This new denunciation, very much in the style of this part of the book, criticizes fasting done in the wrong spirit; it is uncompromising (vv. 1-7) but it ends with words of encouragement. The Lord cannot go along with the hypocrisy of a purely external religion—with people going, through the motions of religious observance while being unjust in their dealings with others and ignoring those in need. Those who act in this way cannot know much about God this is why the prophet feels compelled to speak out and use every opportunity to correct them.

“They seek me daily” (v. 2), that is, they we keen to hear the oracles spoken by the prophets, to learn what God is saying, but they do out act on them— which shows that they do not really know what religion is all about. Conversion to God is not a matter of engaging in many external acts of worship and fasting, while being unjust, exploiting workers and neglecting the poor. It is not surprising that God ignores fasts if those who perform them commit sins against justice and charity (vv. 3-6). In this poem different people’s voices are heard at different points: first God tells the prophet to keep on condemning hypocrisy (vv. 1-2); then men speak, complaining that God ignores their fasting (v. 3) and at the end God teaches and reproaches: he will have nothing to do with the hypocrisy of those who perform fasts but behave wickedly (vv. 4-7); whereas he will certainly listen to prayers if they are accompanied by acts of justice and charity (vv. 8-14).

The works of mercy recommended in this oracle are echoed in Jesus’ discourse on the Last Judgment in Matthew 25:23-45. Christian spirituality has, always stressed that love of neighbor and works of mercy are clear proof of a person’s love of God and are a touchstone of true religion, for “...works of mercy are proof of a truly holy life” (Rabanus Maurus, recorded by St Thomas Aquinas in the “Catena Aurea”). And St Leo the Great taught: “Let each of the faithful examine his own conscience, seeking out his deepest desires; if he finds the fruits of love within his soul, he will know that God is with him, and he should strive even harder to be worthy of so great a guest, being ever more generous in his works of mercy” (”Sermones”, 48, 3).

58:1. “Cry out, spare not”: these words, addressed to the prophet to have him denounce sins, are a call to all whose responsibility it is to guide souls: they should work diligently and without pause. And, in times of difficulties or special need or upheaval, pastors as well as faithful would do well to remember this message, seeking guidance and praying more intensely.

“If you feel no devotion and your heart is dry, continue to pray: call and cry without ceasing until your prayer wins a scrap or drop of grace to restore you; you need.Me; I do not need you” (Thomas a Kempis, “De Imitatione Christi”, 12, 3).

From: Matthew 9:14-17

The Call of Matthew (Continuation)

[14] Then the disciples of John (the Baptist) came to Him (Jesus), saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” [15] And Jesus said them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. [16] And no one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. [17] Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; if it is, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

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Commentary:

14-17. This passage is interesting, not so much because it tells us about the sort of fasting practised by the Jews of the time—particularly the Pharisees and John the Baptist’s disciples—but because of the reason Jesus gives for not requiring His disciples to fast in that way. His reply is both instructive and prophetic. Christianity is not a mere mending or adjusting of the old suit of Judaism. The redemption wrought by Jesus involves a total regeneration. Its spirit is too new and too vital to be suited to old forms of penance, which will no longer apply.

We know that in our Lord’s time Jewish theology schools were in the grip of a highly complicated casuistry to do with fasting, purifications, etc., which smothered the simplicity of genuine piety. Jesus’ words point to that simplicity of heart with which His disciples might practise prayer, fasting and almsgiving (cf. Matthew 6:1-18 and notes to same). From apostolic times onwards it is for the Church, using the authority given it by our Lord to set out the different forms fasting should take in different periods and situations.

15. “The wedding guests”: literally, “the sons of the house where the wedding is being celebrated”—an expression meaning the bridegroom’s closest friends. This is an example of how St. Matthew uses typical Semitic turns of phrase, presenting Jesus’ manner of speech.

This “house” to which Jesus refers has a deeper meaning; set beside the parable of the guests at the wedding (Matthew 22:1 ff), it symbolizes the Church as the house of God and the body of Christ: “Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ was faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are His house if we hold fast our confidence and pride in our hope” (Hebrews 3:5-6).

The second part of the verse refers to the violent death Jesus would meet.

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

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Violet.

First reading	Isaiah 58:1-9 ©

The sort of fast that pleases me

Thus says the Lord:

Shout for all you are worth,

raise your voice like a trumpet.

Proclaim their faults to my people,

their sins to the House of Jacob.

They seek me day after day,

they long to know my ways,

like a nation that wants to act with integrity

and not ignore the law of its God.

They ask me for laws that are just,

they long for God to draw near:

‘Why should we fast if you never see it,

why do penance if you never notice?’

Look, you do business on your fast-days,

you oppress all your workmen;

look, you quarrel and squabble when you fast

and strike the poor man with your fist.

Fasting like yours today

will never make your voice heard on high.

Is that the sort of fast that pleases me,

a truly penitential day for men?

Hanging your head like a reed,

lying down on sackcloth and ashes?

Is that what you call fasting,

a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me

– it is the Lord who speaks –

to break unjust fetters and

undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

and break every yoke,

to share your bread with the hungry,

and shelter the homeless poor,

to clothe the man you see to be naked

and not turn from your own kin?

Then will your light shine like the dawn

and your wound be quickly healed over.

Your integrity will go before you

and the glory of the Lord behind you.

Cry, and the Lord will answer;

call, and he will say, ‘I am here.’

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 50(51):3-6,18-19 ©

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.

In your compassion blot out my offence.

O wash me more and more from my guilt

and cleanse me from my sin.

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

My offences truly I know them;

my sin is always before me

Against you, you alone, have I sinned;

what is evil in your sight I have done.

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

For in sacrifice you take no delight,

burnt offering from me you would refuse,

my sacrifice, a contrite spirit.

A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

Gospel Acclamation	cf.Ps129:5,7

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

My soul is waiting for the Lord,

I count on his word,

because with the Lord there is mercy

and fullness of redemption.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Or:	cf.Amos5:14

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Seek good and not evil so that you may live,

and that the Lord God of hosts may really be with you.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Gospel	Matthew 9:14-15 ©

When the bridegroom is taken from them, then they will fast

John’s disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they will fast.’

Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 9
14.	Then came to him the disciples of John, saying: Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but thy disciples do not fast?	Tunc accesserunt ad eum discipuli Joannis, dicentes : Quare nos, et pharisæi, jejunamus frequenter : discipuli autem tui non jejunant ?	τοτε προσερχονται αυτω οι μαθηται ιωαννου λεγοντες δια τι ημεις και οι φαρισαιοι νηστευομεν πολλα οι δε μαθηται σου ου νηστευουσιν
15.	And Jesus said to them: Can the children of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast.	Et ait illis Jesus : Numquid possunt filii sponsi lugere, quamdiu cum illis est sponsus ? Venient autem dies cum auferetur ab eis sponsus : et tunc jejunabunt.	και ειπεν αυτοις ο ιησους μη δυνανται οι υιοι του νυμφωνος πενθειν εφ οσον μετ αυτων εστιν ο νυμφιος ελευσονται δε ημεραι οταν απαρθη απ αυτων ο νυμφιος και τοτε νηστευσουσιν

14. Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not?
15. And Jesus said to them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

GLOSS; When He had replied to them respecting eating and conversing with sinners they next assailed him on the matter of food, Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but you disciples do not?

JEROME; O boastful inquiry and ostentation of fasting much to be blamed, nor can John's disciples be excused for their taking part with the Pharisees who they knew had been condemned by John, and for bringing a false accusation against Him whom they knew their master had preached.

CHRYS; What they say comes to this, Be it that you do this as Physician of souls, but why do your disciples neglect fasting and approach such tables? And to augment the weight of their charge by comparison, they put themselves first, and then the Pharisees. They fasted as they learnt out of the Law, as the Pharisee spoke, I fast twice in the week; the others learnt it of John.

RABAN; For John drank neither wine, nor strong drink, increasing his merit by abstinence, because he had no power over nature. But the Lord who has power to forgive sins, why should He shun sinners that eat, since He has power to make them more righteous than those that eat not? Yet does Christ fast, that you should not avoid the command; but He eats with sinners that you may know His grace and power.

AUG; Though Matthew mentions only the disciples of John as having made this inquiry, the words of Mark rather seem to imply that some other persons spoke of others, that is, the guests spoke concerning the disciples of John and the Pharisees - this is still more evident from Luke; why then does Matthew here say, Then came to him the disciples of John, unless that they were there among other guests, all of whom with one consent put this objection to Him?

CHRYS; Or; Luke relates that the Pharisees, but Matthew that the disciples of John, said thus, because the Pharisees had taken them with them to ask the question , as they afterwards did the Herodians. Observe how when strangers, as before the Publicans, were to be defended, He accuses heavily those that blamed them; but when they brought a charge against His disciples, He makes answer with mildness. And Jesus said to them, Can the children of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? Before He had styled Himself Physician, now Bridegroom, calling to mind the words of John which he had said, He that has the bride is the bridegroom.

JEROME; Christ is the Bridegroom and the Church the Bride of this spiritual union the Apostles were born; they cannot mourn so long as they see the Bridegroom in the chamber with the Bride. But when the nuptials are past, and the time of the passion and resurrection is come, then shall the children of the Bridegroom fast. The days shall come when the bridegroom shall be taken from them and then shall they fast.

CHRYS; He means this; The present is a time of joy and rejoicing; sorrow is there fore not to be now brought forward and fasting is naturally grievous and to all those that are yet weak; for to those that seek to contemplate wisdom, it is pleasant; He therefore speaks here according to the former opinion. He also shows that this they did was not of gluttony but of a certain dispensation.

JEROME; Hence some thing that a fast ought to follow the forty days of Passion althought the say of Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit immediately bring back our joy and festival. From this text accordingly, Montanus, Prisca, and Maximilla enjoin a forty days' abstinence after Pentecost, but it is the use of the Church too come to the Lord's passion and resurrection through humiliation of the flesh, that by carnal abstinence we may better be prepared for spiritual fullness.

Catena Aurea Matthew 9

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 Sorrowful Mysteries

(Tuesdays and Fridays)

1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God's will be done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in our heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient bearing of trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]

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February 28 2020

Friday after Ash Wednesday

Reading 1 Is 58:1-9a

Responsorial Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19

Verse Before the GospelAm 5:14

Gospel Mt 9:14-15

Readings at Mass

The sort of fast that pleases me

When the bridegroom is taken from them, then they will fast