Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 01-19-09
USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 01-19-09 | New American Bible

Posted on 01/18/2009 7:55:14 PM PST by Salvation

January 19, 2009

                                    Monday of the Second Week
                                    in Ordinary Time
 
 
 
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Gospel

Reading 1
Heb 5:1-10

Brothers and sisters:
Every high priest is taken from among men
and made their representative before God,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,
for he himself is beset by weakness
and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself
as well as for the people.
No one takes this honor upon himself
but only when called by God,
just as Aaron was.
In the same way,
it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,
but rather the one who said to him:
You are my Son:
this day I have begotten you;
just as he says in another place,
You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
In the days when he was in the Flesh,
he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears
to the one who was able to save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverence.
Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;
and when he was made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.


Responsorial Psalm
Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4

R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool.”
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
“Rule in the midst of your enemies.”
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
“Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
“You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.


Gospel
Mk 2:18-22

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast.
People came to Jesus and objected,
“Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast,
but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus answered them,
“Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?
As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.
But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast on that day.
No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak.
If he does, its fullness pulls away,
the new from the old, and the tear gets worse.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins,
and both the wine and the skins are ruined.
Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”




TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; catholiclist; ordinarytime
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-30 last
To: All
The Word Among Us

Meditation: Mark 2:18-22

 

Why should we fast? So that we can mourn the fact that Jesus is no longer with us? Not at all. Fasting isn’t about being sad but about getting ready.

Jesus wants us to get ready for “the wedding feast of the Lamb,” where we will find complete fulfillment for all eternity (Revelation 19:9). But if we want to partake of that feast, we should be careful not to spoil our appetites!

We all have a spiritual hunger in our hearts. The psalmist prayed: “For you my body yearns; for you my soul thirsts, like a land parched, lifeless, and without water” (Psalm 63:2). We were made for God, yet we can fill our lives with so much stuff that it’s hard to come in touch with that yearning. In fact, the root of all our problems is the kind of pride that substitutes self—and all the things that gratify self—for the true happiness of knowing God and serving him.

The purpose of fasting, then, is not to destroy our flesh. Rather, it is to tame our flesh so that we can increase our thirst for the new wine God wants to pour into us (Mark 2:22). Fasting by itself doesn’t make us more virtuous, but it can help us to see how much we need God—and it can make us more grateful for all the blessings he has already given us.

Is there something you would like to fast from today? It doesn’t have to be a meal. It may be a habit, a mind-set, or an activity that gets in the way of God’s presence. It may be something as small as a television show that doesn’t exactly build you up. Or it may be as big as a habit of focusing on the worst in people instead of finding the good in them. Whatever it is, pray for the strength to give it up just for twenty-four hours. You don’t have to start with something big for the Lord to work a big change in your life!

“Lord, I want to be closer to you and experience more of your love flowing through me. Help me to live in moderation and to deny myself for the sake of your glory.”

Hebrews 5:1-10; Psalm 110:1-4


21 posted on 01/19/2009 1:48:17 PM PST by Salvation ( †With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Salvation
Mk 2:18-22
# Douay-Rheims Vulgate
18 And the disciples of John and the Pharisees used to fast. And they come and say to him: Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast; but thy disciples do not fast? et erant discipuli Iohannis et Pharisaei ieiunantes et veniunt et dicunt illi cur discipuli Iohannis et Pharisaeorum ieiunant tui autem discipuli non ieiunant
19 And Jesus saith to them: Can the children of the marriage fast, as long as the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. et ait illis Iesus numquid possunt filii nuptiarum quamdiu sponsus cum illis est ieiunare quanto tempore habent secum sponsum non possunt ieiunare
20 But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them: and then they shall fast in those days. venient autem dies cum auferetur ab eis sponsus et tunc ieiunabunt in illa die
21 No man seweth a piece of raw cloth to an old garment: otherwise the new piecing taketh away from the old, and there is made a greater rent. nemo adsumentum panni rudis adsuit vestimento veteri alioquin aufert supplementum novum a veteri et maior scissura fit
22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: otherwise the wine will burst the bottles, and both the wine will be spilled and the bottles will be lost. But new wine must be put into new bottles. et nemo mittit vinum novellum in utres veteres alioquin disrumpet vinum utres et vinum effunditur et utres peribunt sed vinum novum in utres novos mitti debet

22 posted on 01/19/2009 2:17:05 PM PST by annalex (http://www.catecheticsonline.com/CatenaAurea.php)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: annalex
18. And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say to him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples fast not?
19. And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
20. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
21. No man also sews a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up takes away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
22. And no man puts new wine into old bottles: else the new wine does burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

GLOSS. As above, the Master was accused to the disciples for keeping company with sinners in their feasts, so now, on the other hand, the disciples are complained of to the Master for their omission of fasts, that so matter for dissension might arise amongst them. Wherefore it is said, And the disciples of John and the Pharisees used to fast.

THEOPHYL. For the disciples of John being in an imperfect state, continued in Jewish customs.

AUG. But it may be thought that he added Pharisees, because they joined with the disciples of John in saying this to the Lord, whilst in Matthew relates that the disciples of John alone said it: but the words which follow rather show that those who said it spoke not of themselves, but of others. For it goes on, And they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples, &c. For these words show, that the guests who were there came to Jesus, and had said this same thing to the disciples, so that in the words which he uses, they came, he speaks not of those same persons, of whom he had said, And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting. But as they were fasting, those persons who remembered it, come to him. Matthew then says this, And there came to him the disciples of John, saying, because the Apostles also were there, and all eagerly, as each could, objected these things.

CHRYS. The disciples of John, therefore, and of the Pharisees, being jealous of Christ, ask Him, whether He alone of all men with His disciples could, without abstinence and toil, conquer in the fight of the passions.

BEDE; But John did not drink wine and strong drink, because he who has no power by nature, obtains more merit by abstinence. But why should the Lord, to whom it naturally belonged to forgive sins, shun those whom he could make more pure, than those who fast? But Christ also fasted, lest He should break the precept, He ate with sinners, that you might see His grace, and acknowledge His power. It goes on; And Jesus said to them, Can the children, &c.

AUG. Mark here calls them children of the nuptials, whom Matthew calls children of the bridegroom; for we understand the children of the nuptials to be not only those of the bride-groom, but also of the bride.

PSEUD-CHRYS. He then calls Himself a bridegroom, as if about to be betrothed to the Church. For the betrothal is giving an earnest, namely, that of the grace of the Holy Ghost, by which the world believed.

THEOPHYL. He also calls Himself a bridegroom, not only as betrothing to Himself virgin minds, but because the time of His first coming is not a time of sorrow, nor of sadness to believers, neither does it bring with it toil, but rest. For it is without any works of the law, giving rest by baptism, by which we easily obtain salvation without toil. But the sons of the nuptials or of the Bridegroom are the Apostles; because they, by the grace of God, are made worthy of every heavenly blessing, by the grace of God, and partakers of every joy.

PSEUD-CHRYS. But intercourse with Him, He says, is far removed from all sorrow, when He adds, As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. He is sad, from whom some good is far removed; but be who has it present with him rejoices, and is not sad.

But that He might destroy their elation of heart, and show that He intended not His own disciples to be licentious, He adds, But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken, &c. as if He said, The time will come, when they will show their firmness; for when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them, they will fast as longing for His coming, and in order to unite to Him their spirits, cleansed by bodily suffering. He shows also that there is no necessity for His disciples to fast, as having present with them the Bridegroom of human nature, Who every where executes the words of God, and Who gives the seed of life. The sons of the Bridegroom also cannot, because they are infants, be entirely conformed to their Father, the Bridegroom, Who, considering their infancy, deigns to allow them not to fast: but when the Bridegroom is gone, they will fast, through desire of Him; when they have been made perfect, they will be united to the Bridegroom in marriage, and will always feast at the king's banquet.

THEOPHYL. We must also understand, that every man whose works are good is the son of the Bridegroom; he has the Bridegroom with him, even Christ, and fasts not, that is, does no works of repentance, because he does not sin: but when the Bridegroom is taken away by the man's falling into sin, then lie fasts and is penitent, that he may cure his sin.

BEDE; But in a mystical sense, it may thus be expressed; that the disciples of John and the Pharisees fast, because every man who boasts of the works of the law without faith, who follows the traditions of men, and receives the preaching of Christ with his bodily ear, and not by the faith of the heart, keeps aloof from spiritual goods, and wastes away with a fasting soul. But he who is incorporated into the members of Christ by a faithful love cannot fast, because he feasts upon His Body and Blood. It goes on, No one sews a piece of rough that is new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that fills it up takes away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

PSEUD-CHRYS. As if He said, because these are preachers of the New Testament, it is not possible that they should serve old laws; but you who follow old customs, fitly observe the fasts of Moses. But for these, who are about to hand down to men new and wonderful observances, it is not necessary to observe the old traditions, but to be virtuous in mind; some time or other however they will observe fasting with other Virtues. But this fasting is different from time fasting of the law, for that was one of restraint, this of goodwill; on account of the fervor of the Spirit, Whom they cannot yet receive, Wherefore it goes on, And no one puts new wine into old bottles: else the new wine does burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new Wine must be put in new bottles.

BEDE; For He compares His disciples to old bottles, who would burst at spiritual precepts, rather than be held in restraint by them. But they will be new bottles, when after the ascension of the Lord, they are renewed by desiring His consolation, and then new wine will come to the new bottles, that is, the fervor of the Holy Ghost will fill the hearts of spiritual men. A teacher must also take heed not to commit the hidden things of new mysteries to a soul, hardened in old wickedness.

THEOPHYL. Or else the disciples are likened to old garments on account of the infirmity of their minds, on which it was not fitting to impose the heavy command of fasting.

BEDE; Neither was it fitting to sew on a new piece; that is, a portion of doctrine which teaches a general fast from all the joy of temporal delights; for if this be done, the teaching is rent, and agrees not with the old part. But by a new garment is intended good works, which are done externally, and by the new wine, is expressed the fervor of faith, hope, and charity, by which we are reformed in our minds.

Catena Aurea Mark 2
23 posted on 01/19/2009 2:17:47 PM PST by annalex (http://www.catecheticsonline.com/CatenaAurea.php)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: annalex


The Wedding Feast at Cana

Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld

1819
Oil on canvas, 140 x 210 cm
Kunsthalle, Hamburg

24 posted on 01/19/2009 2:18:23 PM PST by annalex (http://www.catecheticsonline.com/CatenaAurea.php)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: All
Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
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. Alleluia.


A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 44 (45)
The wedding of the King
My heart cries out on a joyful theme:
 I will tell my poem to the king,
 my tongue like the pen of the swiftest scribe.

You have been given more than human beauty,
 and grace is poured out upon your lips,
 so that God has blessed you for ever.

Strap your sword to your side, mighty one,
 in all your greatness and splendour.
In your splendour go forth, mount your chariot,
 on behalf of truth, kindness and justice.
Let your right hand show you marvels,
 let your arrows be sharp against the hearts of the king’s enemies
 – the peoples will fall before you.

Your throne is firm, O God, from age to age,
 your royal sceptre is a sceptre of justice.
You love uprightness, hate injustice
 – for God, your God has anointed you
 with the oil of gladness, above all your companions.

Myrrh and aloes and cassia anoint your garments.
From ivory palaces the sound of harps delights you.
In your retinue go the daughters of kings.
At your right hand, the queen is adorned with gold of Ophir.

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.

Psalm 44 (45)
The King's bride
Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.
Listen, my daughter, and understand;
 turn your ears to what I have to say.
Forget your people, forget your father’s house,
 and the king will desire you for your beauty.
 He is your lord, so worship him.
The daughters of Tyre will bring you gifts;
 the richest of your subjects will beg you to look on them.

How great is the king’s daughter, within the palace!
 She is clothed in woven gold.
She will be taken to the king in coloured garments,
 her maidens will escort her to your presence.
In gladness and rejoicing they are brought
 and led to the house of the king.

Instead of your fathers you will have sons:
 you will make them rulers over all the world.
I will remember your name
 from generation to generation.
And so your people will do you honour
 for ever and for ever.

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.
Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.

Canticle Ephesians 1
God the Saviour
Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us, in Christ, with every spiritual blessing in heaven.

In love, he chose us before the creation of the world,
to be holy and spotless in his sight.

He predestined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ,
simply because it pleased him to do so.

This he did for the praise of the glory of his grace,
of his free gift of us in his Beloved,

in whose blood we have gained redemption,
and the forgiveness of our sins.

This he did according to the riches of his grace,
which he gave us in abundance,

with all wisdom and discernment,
revealing to us the mysteries of his will,
because it pleased him to do so.

In this action he has planned, in the fulfilment of time,
to bring all things together in Christ,
from the heavens and from the earth.

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.

Short reading 1 Thessalonians 2:13 ©
We constantly thank God for you because as soon as you heard the message that we brought you as God’s message, you accepted it for what it really is, God’s message and not some human thinking; and it is still a living power among you who believe it.

Canticle Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
 and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.
For he has shown me such favour –
 me, his lowly handmaiden.
Now all generations will call me blessed,
 because the mighty one has done great things for me.
His name is holy,
 his mercy lasts for generation after generation
 for those who revere him.

He has put forth his strength:
 he has scattered the proud and conceited,
 torn princes from their thrones;
 but lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
 the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
 he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,
 to Abraham and his children for ever.

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.

Prayers and Intercessions ?
Let us praise Christ, who loves and cares for his Church. Let us call on him trustingly, saying:
Lord, grant the prayers of your people.
Lord Jesus, bring all men to salvation
and lead them to recognise your truth.
Watch over our Pope N. and our Bishop N.,
and give them the support of your strength.
Take care of those who long for justice:
let them pass their lives in happiness and safety.
Lord, be the refuge of the poor
and their help in tribulation.
To the dead to whom in this life you gave the honour of the priesthood
grant the gift of celebrating your glory for ever in heaven.
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.

Almighty God, who gave your unworthy servants the strength for today’s work,
 accept our evening sacrifice of praise
 as thanks for the gifts we have received from you.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
 who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
 God for ever and ever.
Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.
A M E N

25 posted on 01/19/2009 4:16:43 PM PST by Salvation ( †With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: All
Regnum Christi

The New Joy of the Bridegroom
January 19, 2009
| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY
Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Father Walter Schu, LC  

Mark 2:18-22
The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to him and objected, "Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins."

Introductory Prayer: Jesus, what a joy and what a gift to have this time to be alone with you! I want to know you more deeply. I want to hope in you more firmly. I want to love you with greater constancy in my daily life. Only you can give me these gifts. Only you can make me a bold and joyful apostle of your Kingdom.

Petition: Lord, help me to experience the new joy that comes from carrying the cross alongside you.

1. The Joy of the Bridegroom   The Old Testament prophets, especially Hosea and Isaiah, describe the relationship between Israel and Yahweh as a marriage covenant. Israel is the bride, often an unfaithful one, and Yahweh is the bridegroom. When Christ refers to himself as the bridegroom, he is appropriating a title that had been reserved to God alone. Clearly, Jesus is much more than an ordinary rabbi. What experience do we most associate with a bridegroom and the wedding feast? Joy! “Although it is true that the cross is never absent from an authentically Christian life, it is equally true that the God who meets us on that cross is the same God who created the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the mountains, laughter, sunlight, and every earthly delight” (John Bartunek, LC, The Better Part, p. 365). Christ came to bring us joy, a joy that would last into eternity.

2. Should Christians Fast?   Christ says that when the bridegroom is taken away, then his disciples will fast. This is his first reference in the Gospel of Mark to his coming passion. Fasting is a way of sharing in Christ’s sufferings. Fasting, sacrifices, and acts of self-denial are also means to detach ourselves from earthly goods in order to cling more firmly to Christ himself. They make us aware of how much we need God. But these ways of sharing Christ’s cross should not make us glum followers. “Some Christians give the impression that following Christ is a somber affair, or that the Christian life consists above all of dour sacrifices and boring obligations. Joyless, dreary, dull. No wonder their friends want to stay as far away from Christianity as possible!... If our friendship with Christ does not fill us with contagious enthusiasm, we’re probably being a half-hearted friend” (John Bartunek, LC, The Better Part, p. 365).

3. “Behold, I Make All Things New.”    The movie The Passion of the Christ puts this phrase from Revelation on Christ’s lips when he meets his mother Mary as he carries the cross to Calvary. Christ’s “narrow gate” of the cross leads to a radically new way of life. It brings an abundance of joy, a new vigor, interior peace. The new wine of the life of grace that Christ pours out on his followers must change not only their way of life, but even their internal attitudes and consciousness. As St. Teresa of Avila once put it, “A sad saint is a bad saint.” What obstacles in my life do I need to overcome in order to follow Christ with greater joy and to radiate that joy to others?

Conversation with Christ: Thank you, Lord, for the new life you came to bring — your own divine life of grace inside me and each of your followers who is faithful to you. Help me to share that joy with others. I long to be a true apostle of your joy.

Resolution: Today I will forget about myself and seek only to help make those around me joyful.


26 posted on 01/19/2009 4:21:19 PM PST by Salvation ( †With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

Comment #27 Removed by Moderator

To: All

Homily of the Day

Making Do Isn’t Enough for Your Spirit!

January 19th, 2009 by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Heb 5:1-10 / Mk 2:18-22

Making do is an admirable and most practical skill that can at times mean the difference between survival and disaster.  Many is the family that avoided starvation by discovering how to make do with whatever was at hand.  Indeed, many gourmet dishes, sweetbreads for example, have their origins with impoverished peasants who found a way to convert disgusting throwaways into succulent morsels.  In more instances than one could count, the habit of making do is a manifestation of both courage and character.  It says to the world, “We will survive, we will not be destroyed.”

There are, however, limits to the virtues of making do. It can skew our perspective and cause us to settle for too little: Sometimes just surviving isn’t enough. Sometimes what appears to be survival isn’t that at all, but just a long, slow death. That’s what Jesus had in mind when He said that trying to put new wine into old wineskins doesn’t work.

There are times when we need to start afresh, and that is especially true when it comes to our inner lives. Simple patchwork, just holding things together, isn’t good enough. We need, as Jesus said, to be born again, not physically, but spiritually. For each of us that rebirth will take a somewhat different shape, because our personal histories are different. But in every case, the rebirth will involve a radical opening of our spirits to the Holy Spirit of God.

When it comes to what you’re really about, don’t settle for just making do. Open your heart to the Spirit and get a whole new life!


28 posted on 01/19/2009 4:31:39 PM PST by Salvation ( †With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: All
One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body


<< Monday, January 19, 2009 >>
Saint of the Day
 
Hebrews 5:1-10
View Readings
Psalm 110 Mark 2:18-22
 

ON TIME

 
"People came to Jesus with the objection, 'Why do John's disciples and those of the Pharisees fast while Yours do not?' " —Mark 2:18
 

The people in today's Gospel reading thought it was time to fast, although it was time to feast. They had the right idea but the wrong time. You may be doing something appropriate to the way things were twenty years ago but inadequate for the present. For example, if you send your children to the school you attended in your own youth, you may be making a big mistake. That school had its time, but its time is not now, if you want your children to be followers of Jesus.

If you talk to your children about sexual temptations as little as your parents talked to you, you will find that what worked for your parents may not work for you. Times have changed. If you pray with your children as little as your parents prayed with you, your family may suffer much more from its lack of prayer than the family you grew up in.

In our time, prayer has become more and more our only hope. "There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens" (Eccl 3:1). Are you on time or out of sync with God's present unfolding of His plan of salvation?

 
Prayer: Jesus, be Lord of my time and timing.
Promise: "In the days when He was in the flesh, He offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to God, Who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence." —Heb 5:7
Praise: From the Church-required minimum of fasting, Robert has now practiced fasting two or three days a week and has seen an amazing growth in his spiritual life.
 

29 posted on 01/19/2009 5:03:13 PM PST by Salvation ( †With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: All
Compline -- Night Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
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. Alleluia.


This is an excellent moment for an examination of conscience. In a communal celebration of Compline, one of the penitential acts given in the Missal may be recited.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.


Psalm 85 (86)
A poor man's prayer in time of trouble
Lord God, you are full of mercies, patient and true.
Turn your ear to me, Lord, and hear me,
 for I am poor and destitute.
Keep my life safe, for I am faithful;
 O God, save your servant, who trusts in you.

Take pity upon me, O Lord,
 for I call to you all the day long.
Make your servant’s heart glad,
 for to you, O Lord, I have raised it.
For you, Lord, are gentle and mild:
 you are kind to all those who call on you.

Let your ears hear my prayer, O Lord!
 Turn to the voice of my pleading!
In my time of trouble I call on you,
 for you, O Lord, will hear me.

No other god is like you, O Lord,
 and nothing compares with your works.
All people – all nations you made –
 will come and worship before you;
 they will give glory to your name.
For you are great, you work wonders:
 you alone are God.

O Lord, teach me your paths,
 and I will come to your truth.
Make my heart simple and guileless,
 so that it honours your name.
I will proclaim you, Lord my God,
 and give you praise with all my heart.
I will give glory to your name for ever,
 for your great kindness is upon me:
 you have rescued me from the deepest depths.

O God, the proud rise against me,
 in the meetings of the powerful they seek my life:
 they do not keep you in their sight.
And you, Lord, are a God of compassion,
 full of mercies, patient and true.
Look upon me, have mercy upon me,
 give your strength and protection to your servant
 your servant, the child of your handmaid.

Give me a sign of your goodness,
 let my enemies see it and be confounded;
because you, O Lord, have helped me and given me comfort.

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.
Lord God, you are full of mercies, patient and true.

Reading 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
God chose that we should receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us; so that, asleep or awake, we should still live with him.

Short Responsory ?
Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
- Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness.
- Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
- Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

Canticle Nunc Dimittis
Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.
Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace.
 You have fulfilled your promise.
My own eyes have seen your salvation,
 which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples.
A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness;
 the glory of your people Israel.

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.
Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

Prayer
Let us pray.
Give our bodies rest, Lord, to restore them; and let the seeds sown by our labours today grow and yield an eternal harvest.
Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.
A M E N
An antiphon to Our Lady should be recited here.

30 posted on 01/19/2009 5:12:16 PM PST by Salvation ( †With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-30 last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson