Catholic Caucus - Daily Mass Readings - Wednesday, July 16, 2003

Gospel Reading

On one occasion Jesus said, "Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise you, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to simple people. Yes, Father, this is what pleased you.

"Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

Reflection

Is learning opposed to faith? The heavenly Father delighted in creating humans in his likeness, setting them over all creation, with their gifts of reason and freewill. Part of those gifts is to understand the nature of the universe and the laws that govern the relationship of its myriad components.The discovery of the laws of nature reveals order in the visible world that not only accounts for its beauty but also calls for an "orderer", a Creator. Sometimes the human mind refuses to open itself to that truth. It refuses to make the reasonable act of faith in the Creator. Then it fails to recognize his loving plan. And so we all become accidents, instead of beings made out of love, sons and daughters of a loving Father.

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Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Exodus 3:1-6, 9-12
Psalm 103
Matthew 11:25-27

HOW TO BETTER ONESELF

“Moses decided, ‘I must go over to look at this remarkable sight.’ ” —Exodus 3:3

To become better, live better, pray better, and work better, we must know God better. To become better husbands, wives, parents, religious, or people, we must know God better. For example, Moses, to do better than be a shepherd, had to know God better in the burning bush (Ex 3:2ff). Isaiah (Is 6:1ff), Jeremiah (Jer 1:5ff), and Ezekiel (Ez 1:4ff) all had to know God better before they could fulfill their prophetic ministry. Paul had to know God better before he could become the great missionary to the nations (see Gal 1:17ff).

We know God better through the Holy Spirit, Who “scrutinizes all matters, even the deep things of God” (1 Cor 2:10), guides us to all truth (Jn 16:13), and teaches us everything (Jn 14:26). After the apostles received the Holy Spirit at the first Christian Pentecost, they began to know God much better. Then they lived in a new dimension. They became transformed people who knew God is what life is all about. Either we “perish for want of knowledge” of God (Hos 4:6), or we “come to rate all as loss in the light of the surpassing knowledge of [our] Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:8). Because of the Holy Spirit, “the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea” (Is 11:9). Plunge into the sea of the knowledge of God and emerge with a new life.

Prayer: Father, may I not settle for mediocrity but receive a new Pentecost, new knowledge, and new life.
Promise: “Father, Lord of heaven and earth, to You I offer praise; for what You have hidden from the learned and the clever You have revealed to the merest children.” —Mt 11:25
Praise: Mary is honored by the members of the Carmelite order as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, the high mountain in Israel. This fulfills Mary’s own prophecy as the Lord raised her “to high places” (Lk 1:52).

Nihil obstat: Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, December 29, 2002
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 31, 2002

Exodus 3:1-6,9-12 and Matthew 11:25-27

Today's Mass has two beautiful readings. The first is the story of the "Burning Bush." The gospel is the statement that God has kept things from the worldly wise and revealed them to the lowly.
Moses fled Egypt, married well in the land of Midian, and would have been content to live a comfortable life tending the flocks of his father-in-law, Jethro. But while tending the sheep, he comes upon a bush, burning but not consumed. He hears a voice: "Take off your sandals; this is holy ground!" God speaks to him; he tells him that he has heard the cries of his people in Egypt and is going to deliver them - through Moses! Moses will put forth every possible objection as to why he should not go back. But God promises to be with him. Moses will not depend on his natural abilities, but on the strength of God almighty. He must have faith.
Throughout salvation history, God has revealed himself to the lowly, to those who were not much according to this world's measurements. He takes nobodies and accomplishes his mighty works to show us that great things are done by his power, and not by our own natural abilities. If we humble ourselves, he manifests himself to us. Let us pray for the genuine gift of humility.

Also Our Lady of Mount Carmel
According to pious tradition, Our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock at Cambridge, England, on July 16, 1251. She gave him the scapular, a brown habit with ankle length portions in front and in back. She promised that whoever wore this habit faithfully until death as a sign of dedication to her would not suffer the fire of hell.
There is no historical evidence for all this until 1642, when a pamphlet encouraging the scapular was circulated. Originally, there was no connection between the celebration today and the scapular itself, and no reference to the scapular or to the apparition is found in the Mass texts. Further, any reference to a "scapular" before the sixteenth century always meant the large monastic scapular, and not two small pieces of cloth joined by strings.
Nevertheless, the popularity of the scapular cannot be denied. As with any sacramental, scapular devotion presumes personal faith and devotion. It is faith that saves, not a piece of cloth.

These reflections are offered by Msgr. William Carr.The scripture readings given for each day are those which will be used for Mass. The reflection is taken from the readings, or from the festival for the day.

The Worod Among Us

Wednesday, July 16, 2003

Meditation
Matthew 11:25-27

In his prayer of gratitude to the Father, Jesus acknowledged that divine wisdom is hidden from “the wise” (Matthew 11:25). Why would God keep himself hidden like this, especially from those said to have deep wisdom in the first place? Wouldn’t a better strategy be to reveal himself to them first and use them to convince the simple? If we look at the way God has worked throughout history, however, we can see that it’s more a case of people trying to hide from God than his attempts to hide from them.

God doesn’t want to remain hidden. He wants to reveal himself. He wants to show all of us his mind and heart. But as Jesus said, God reveals himself to the childlike. And that’s the challenge for us. God wants to reveal himself to us freely, as a Father loves to give gifts to his children. We don’t have to earn this gift, as if we were working adults earning a salary.

Still, we should be clear. Accepting God’s revelation can be costly: first of all, because it demands that we confess our need. We don’t have all the answers about life, about our friends and family, or even about ourselves. Admitting this isn’t always easy. It cuts away at our pride and puts us in a position of dependence. Second, revelation is costly because it means giving up control of our lives and allowing Jesus to reign in us.

The late theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar once observed that when Jesus said, “Unless you become like little children” (Matthew 18:3), he wasn’t referring only to little children but to himself. Jesus, the Son of God, not only became an actual child. Throughout his entire life he continually emptied himself and sought out his Father’s wisdom and plan with childlike simplicity and humility. Because of his childlike nature, Jesus was able to hear his Father at all times. Let’s follow Jesus’ example. Our part is simply to be like little children. It’s God’s part to feed us and make us holy.

“Father, help me to become teachable, to seek your will, and to meditate on your word. I want to receive your wisdom so that my heart may be changed by your all-surpassing power. I want you to make me more like your Son today and every day of my life.”

Nice to see you posting again Salvation! I hope you're feeling somewhat better. :-)

With a busted and screwed and wired-back-together patella, I'll hang in here for a few minutes or so.

From: Exodus 3:1-6, 9-12

God Appears to Moses in the Burning Bush

[1] Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest
of Midian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came
to Horeb, the mountain of God. [2] And the angel of the Lord appeared to him
in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the
hush was burning, yet it was not consumed. [3] And Moses said, "I will turn
aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt." [4] When the
Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush,
"Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here am I." [5] Then he said, "Do not come
near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are
standing is holy ground." [6] And he said, "I am the God of your father, the
God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his
face, for he was afraid to look at God.

[9] And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I
have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. [10] Come, I
will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring forth my people, the sons of
Israel, out of Egypt."

The Divine Name is Revealed

[11] But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring
the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" [12] He said, "But I will be with you; and
this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought
forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain."

Commentary:

3:1-4:17. This account of the calling of Moses is charged with theological
content; it gives the features of two protagonists (Moses and God) and the
bases of the liberation of the people by means of wondrous divine
intervention.

In the dialogue between God and Moses after the theophany of the burning
bush (vv. 1-10), the Lord endows Moses with alt the gifts he needs to carry
out his mission: he promises him help and protection (vv. 11-12), he makes
his name known to him (vv. 13-22), he gives him the power to work wonders
(4:1-9), and he designates his brother Aaron as his aide, who will be his
spokesman
(4:10-17).

This section shows how God brings about salvation by relying on the docility
of a mediator whom he calls and trains for the purpose. But the initiative
always stays with God. Thus, God himself designs the smallest details of the
most important undertaking the Israelites will embark on--their
establishment as a people and their passing from bondage to freedom and the
possession of the promised land.

3:1-3. The mountain of God, Horeb, called in other traditions Sinai,
probably lies in the south-east part of the Sinai peninsula. Even today
shepherds in that region will leave the valleys scorched by the sun in
search of better pasture in the mountains. Although we do not yet know
exactly where Mount Horeb is, it still had primordial importance in
salvation history. On this same mountain the Law will later be promulgated
(chap. 19), in the context of another dramatic theophany. Elijah will come
back here to meet God (I Kings 19:8-19). It is the mountain of God "par
excellence".

The "angel of the Lord" is probably an expression meaning "God". In the most
ancient accounts (cf., e.g., Gen 16:7; 22:11, 14; 31:11, 13),immediately
after the angel comes on the scene it is God himself who speaks: since God
is invisible he is discovered to be present and to be acting in "the angel
of the Lord", who usually does not appear in human form. Later, in the
period of the monarchy, the existence of heavenly messengers distinct from
God will begin to be recognized (cf 2 Sam 19:28; 24:16; 1 Kings 19:5,7;
etc.).

Fire is often a feature of theophanies (cf., e.g., Ex 19:18; 24:17; Lev
9:23-24; Ezek 1:17), perhaps because it is the best symbol to convey the
presence of things spiritual and divine transcendence. The bush mentioned
here would he one of the many thorny shrubs that grow in desert uplands in
that region. Some Christian writers have seen in the burning bush an image
of the Church which endures despite the persecutions and trials it
undergoes. It is also seen as a figure of the Blessed Virgin, in whom the
divinity always burned (cf. St Bede, "Commentaria In Pentateuchum", 2, 3).

All the details given in the passage help to bring out the simplicity and at
the same time the drama of God's action; the scene is quite ordinary
(grazing, a mountain, a bush...), but extraordinary things happen (the angel
of the Lord, a flame which does not burn, a voice).

3:4-10. The calling of Moses is described in this powerful dialogue in four
stages: God calls him by his name (v. 4); he introduces himself as the God
of Moses' ancestors (v. 9); he makes his plan of deliverance known in a most
moving way (vv. 7-9); and, finally, he imperiously gives Moses his mission
(v. 10).

The repetition of his name ("Moses, Moses!'') stresses how important this
event is (cf. Gen 22:11; Lk 22:31). Taking one's shoes off is a way of
showing veneration in a holy place. In some Byzantine communities there was
a custom for a long time of celebrating the liturgy barefoot or wearing
different footwear from normal. Christian writers have seen this gesture as
being an act of humility and detachment in the face of the presence of God:
"no one can gain access to God or see him unless first he has shed every
earthly attachment" ("Glossa Ordinaria In Exodum", 3, 4).

The sacred writer makes it clear that the God of Sinai is the same as the
God of Moses' ancestors; Moses, then, is not a founder of a new religion; he
carries on the religious tradition of the patriarchs, confirming the
election of Israel as people of God. Four very expressive verbs are used to
describe this election, this choice of Israel by God: I have seen..., I have
heard..., I know..., I have come down to deliver (v. 8). This sequence of
action includes no human action: the people are oppressed, they
cry, theirs is a sorry plight. But God has a clear aim in sight--"to deliver
them and to bring them up [...] to a good and broad land" (v. 8). These two
terms will become keynotes of God's saving action. To bring up to the
promised land will come to mean, not only a geographical ascent but also a
journey towards plenitude. St Luke's Gospel will take up the same idea. (cf.
"The Navarre Bible: The Gospel of Saint Luke", pp 22). God's imperative
command is clear in the original text (v. 10): "...bring forth my people,
the sons of Israel, out of Egypt". This is another way of referring to the
salvific event which gives its name to this book; according to Greek and
Latin traditions "exodus" means "going out".

3:11-12. In reply to Moses' first objection about his sheer inability to do
what God is asking of him, God assures him that he will be at his side and
will protect him--as he will help all who have a difficult mission of
salvation (cf. Gen 28:15; Josh 1:5; Jer 1:8). The Blessed Virgin will hear
the same words at the Annunciation: "The Lord is with you" (Lk 1:27).

The sign which God gives Moses is linked to his faith, because it involves
both a promise and a command: when they come out of Egypt, Moses and the
people will worship God on this very mountain. When this actually happens,
Moses will acknowledge the supernatural nature of his mission but,
meanwhile, he has to obey faithfully the charge given him by God.

Moses' conversation with the Lord is a beautiful prayer and one worth
imitating. By following his example, a Christian can dialogue personally and
intimately with the Lord: "We ought to be seriously committed to dealing
with God. We cannot take refuge in the anonymous crowd. If interior life
doesn't involve personal encounter with God, it doesn't exist--it's as
simple as that. There are few things more at odds with Christianity than
superficiality. To settle down to routine in our Christian life is to
dismiss the possibility of becoming a contemplative soul. God seeks us out,
one by one. And we ought to answer him, one by one: 'Here I am, Lord,
because you have called me' (1 Kings 3:5)" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is
Passing By", 174; cf. "Catechism of the Catholic Church", 2574-5).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: Matthew 11:25-27

Jesus Thanks His Father

[25] At that time Jesus declared, "I thank Thee, Father, Lord of
Heaven and earth, that Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and
understanding and revealed them to babes; [26] yea, Father, for such
was Thy gracious will. [27] All things have been delivered to Me by My
Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows
the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal
Him."

Commentary:

25-26. The wise and understanding of this world, that is, those who
rely on their own judgment, cannot accept the revelation which Christ
has brought us. Supernatural outlook is always connected with
humility. A humble person, who gives himself little importance, sees;
a person who is full of self-esteem fails to perceive supernatural
things.

27. Here Jesus formally reveals His divinity. Our knowledge of a
person shows our intimacy with Him, according to the principle given by
St. Paul: "For what person knows a man's thoughts except the spirit of
the man which is in him?" (1 Corinthians 2:11). The Son knows the
Father by the same knowledge as that by which the Father knows the
Son. This identity of knowledge implies oneness of nature; that is to
say, Jesus is God just as the Father is God.

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

FEAST OF THE DAY

Mount Carmel is referred to several times throughout Sacred
Scripture. For example, it was on Mount Carmel that Elijah defended
the purity of Israel's faith in the living God. Mount Carmel is
celebrated throughout the Old Testament for its beauty, and is said
to be the place that angels carried the body of St. Catherine after she
was beheaded. It is considered the birthplace of the Carmelite Order.
During the twelfth century a group of hermits, who had withdrawn to
the mountain, organized themselves into the Order of Carmelites,
which is devoted to the contemplative life under the patronage of
Mary, the holy Mother of God.

Beginning in the fourteenth century, the Brothers of Our Lady of
Mount Carmel began a devotion to Our Lady with a special Mass
and Office celebrated in her honor. In 1726 this celebration of the
Blessed Virgin was extended to the whole Church under the title Our
Lady of Mount Carmel.

Some saints of the Carmelite order who have been extremely
influential on the Church have been St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of
the Cross, and St. Theresa of Lisieux. The tradition of wearing a
scapular is said to have started from a vision of Mary to one of the
members of the Carmelite order.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Ahab came to meet Elijah and when he saw Elijah, said to him, "Is it
you, you disturber of Israel?" "It is not I who disturb Israel," he
answered, "but you and your family, by forsaking the commands of
the Lord and following the Baals. Now summon all Israel to me on
Mount Carmel, as well as the four hundred and fifty prophets of
Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table." So Ahab set to all the Israelites
and had the prophets assemble on Mount Carmel. 1 Kgs 18:16-20

TODAY IN HISTORY

1216 Death of Pope Innocent III
1769 Father Serra founds 1st mission in California in San Diego

TODAY'S TIDBIT

The Order of Carmelites currently numbers more than 6300 religious
and traces its roots to St. Berthold who was one of the founders of
the order in 1155. In the Sixteenth century the reforms of St. Teresa
of Avila and St. John of the Cross created an offshoot of the order
called the Discalced Carmelites. Both branches of the order are
engaged in ministerial service to the faithful and the Church.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for all missionaries and Catholics in mission territories.

**Please pray for all missionaries and Catholics in mission territories.**

Including father_elijah

Pope Says Our Lady of Mount Carmel Is Source of Hope
Recalls a Church Feast Full of Memories of His Youth

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, JULY 16, 2003 (Zenit.org).- On a day the Church was celebrating the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, John Paul II presented Mary as a reason for hope and consolation.

After greeting the Carmelites who were among the 2,000 faithful gathered for today's general audience at the papal summer residence here, the Pope highlighted the meaning of the day, which for him brought back memories.

"Today is the liturgical memory of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel," he said in Polish at the end of the audience. "This memory is especially dear to all those who are devoted to Our Lady of Mount Carmel."

"Even I, from my youngest days, have worn around my neck the scapular of Our Lady and I take refuge with trust under the mantle of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus," the Pope said.

He added: "I hope the scapular will be for everyone, especially the faithful who wear it, a help and defense in times of danger, a seal of peace and a sign of Mary's care."

The Carmel scapular wasn't the extent of Karol Wojtyla's connection with its spirituality. He gave serious thought to entering the Carmel, after reading the works of St. John of the Cross. The Spanish saint's mystical writings so moved the future Pope that he based his doctoral thesis in theology on them.

Simon Stock, general superior of the Carmelite Order, received the scapular in 1251, during an apparition of the Virgin, when she promised special assistance in life and in death to all those who wear it with devotion.

Commenting on the Holy Father's words, theologian and Mariologist Father Stefano De Fiores explained on Vatican Radio: "When we think of the Virgin of Carmel today, we think first of all of the contemplation so necessary for the world of today which is too absorbed in activity and subjected to stress and anxiety."

"At the same time, in Mary we also see beauty," said Father De Fiores, a Montfort Missionary. "This way of beauty today is particularly adapted to attract the hearts of men. According to Fyodor M. Dostoyevsky, beauty will save the world. However, not any beauty but redeemed beauty, as Pavel Evdokimov emphasizes."

With her beauty, Mary indicates to us "what we should be and, unfortunately, are not," the theologian added.

Hey Salvation,

Good to see you again... I posted what His Holiness said today... enjoy!