Posted on 06/24/2017 7:50:22 PM PDT by Salvation
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Jeremiahs fifth confession
[13] Sing to the Lord;
praise the Lord!
For he has delivered the life of the needy
from the hand of evildoers.
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Commentary:
20:7-18. This last, very dramatic confession is one of the most impressive pas-
sages in prophetical literature. It (especially vv. 14-18) has features in common
with Job 3:1-10. It could have been uttered around 605-604 BC when Jeremiah
was being persecuted by King Jehoiakim. Despite all his efforts, Jeremiah feels
that he has failed; he believes in God but could it be that he never received a
special call? It is a time of inner crisis for Jeremiah. He laments his vocation, for
it has led to his persecution (vv. 7-9); then he makes an act of trust in God despite
the harassment he is suffering (vv. 10-13); the passage ends with a series of im-
precations (vv. 14-18).
The prophet confides his feelings to God and complains about his calling (v. 7a).
It looks as if God has misled him (v. 7b): the prophet has made enemies on every
side. When he proclaims the word of God no one listens: reproach and derision
are the only response he gets (v. 10). He would like to walk away. Yet he cannot,
or God is like a burning fire in his heart (v. 9). Despite all his difficulties, his
zeal for the Lord wins the day: it only goes to prove that those who have expe-
rienced desire to make him known to others to those who once knew him and
have forgotten him, and to those who have never heard of him. That is the mes-
sage that Theodoret of Cyrus takes from this passage, recalling the example of St.
Paul: The same happened to St. Paul as he stood in silence in Athens. His soul
burned within him when he saw the terrible idolatry that was practiced in that city
(cf. Acts 17:16). The prophet had the same experience (Interpretatio in Jeremiam,
20, 9). And when Origen reads this passage and asks himself whether God could
ever deceive someone, he explains: We are little children, and we must be trea-
ted as little children. God, therefore, entrances us in order to form us, although
we may not be aware of this captivation before the appropriate time comes. God
does not deal with us as people who have already left childhood, who can no lon-
ger be led by sweet words but only by deeds (Homiliae in Jeremiam, 19, 15).
In spite of everything, Jeremiah is sure that God will never forsake him (v. 11).
From what he says, we can see that there is an inner tension between his expe-
rience of all kinds of sufferings (vv. 14-18) and the conviction that God will never
leave him (vv. 12-13). What he says in v. 18 could suggest that he is utterly de-
pressed, but what he is doing is baring his soul to someone whom he loves and
trusts entirely, even in the midst of total darkness and a sense of powerlessness.
Events will show this to be the case: Jeremiah did not give up his ministry but
persevered in it to the end of his life. He admits his limitations but he stays true
to God: this bears out what the Lord will tell St. Paul when he feels the situation
is beyond him: My power is made perfect in your weakness (2 Cor 12:9).
Meditating on this confession of Jeremiah, St. John of the Cross concludes that
sometimes Gods purposes are impossible to understand: It is very difficult to at-
tempt to understand fully the words and deeds of God, or even to decide what
they may be, without falling often into error or becoming very confused. The pro-
phets who were entrusted with the word of God knew this well; their task of pro-
phesying to the people was a daunting one, for the people could not always see
what was spoken coming to pass. Therefore, they mocked and laughed at the
prophets, as Jeremiah says: I have become a laughingstock all the day; every
one mocks me (20:7). Although the prophet speaks as though resigned to his
fate, in the voice of a weak man who is unable to bear any longer the vicissitudes
of God, he makes clear the difference between the prophecy and its fulfillment
and the common sense that the divine sayings contain, because he knows that
the prophets were often taken as mischief-makers (Ascent of Mount Carmel, 2,
20, 6).
*********************************************************************************************
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: Romans 5:12-15
Adam’s Original Sin
[15] But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s
trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that
one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
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Commentary:
12-14. This passage can be elaborated on as follows: just as sin entered the
world through the action of a single individual man, so righteousness is attained
for us by one man — Jesus Christ. Adam, the first man, is a type of the “new Adam”:
Adam contained within himself all mankind, his offspring; the “new Adam” is “the
first-born of all creation” and “the head of the body, the Church” (Colossians 1:15,
18) because He is the redeeming Word Incarnate. To Adam we are linked by flesh
and blood, to Christ by faith and the Sacraments.
When, in His infinite goodness, He raised Adam to share in the divine life, God al-
so decreed that our First Parent would pass on to us his human nature and with it
all the various gifts that perfected it and the grace that sanctified it. But Adam
committed a sin by breaking God’s commandment and as a result he immediately
lost the holiness and righteousness in which he had been installed, and because
of this disloyalty he incurred God’s wrath and indignation and, as consequence,
death — as God had warned him. By becoming mortal and falling under the power
of the devil, Adam “was changed for the worse”, in both body and soul (cf. Council
of Trent, “De Peccato Originali”, Canon 1). From then on Adam and his descen-
dants pass on a human nature deprived of supernatural gifts, and men are in a
state of enmity with God, which means that they cannot attain eternal beatitude.
The fact of Original Sin is a truth of faith. This has been stated once again solemn-
ly by [Pope] Paul VI: “We believe that in Adam all have sinned. From this it follows
that, on account of the original offense committed by him, human nature, which is
common to all men, is reduced to that condition in which it must suffer the conse-
quences of that Fall [...]. Consequently, fallen human nature is deprived of the eco-
nomy of grace which it formerly enjoyed. It is wounded in its natural powers and
subjected to the dominion of death which is transmitted to all men. It is in this
sense that every man is born in sin. We hold, therefore, in accordance with the
Council of Trent, that Original Sin is transmitted along with human nature, “not by
imitation but by propagation”, and is, therefore, incurred by each person individual-
ly” (”Creed of the People of God”, 16).
Our own experience bears out what divine Revelation tells us: when we examine
our conscience we realize that we have this inclination towards evil and we are
conscious of being enmeshed in evils which cannot have their source in our holy
Creator (cf. Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 13). The obvious presence of evil in the
world and in ourselves convince us of the profound truth contained in Revelation
and moves us to fight against sin.
“So much wretchedness! So many offenses! Mine, yours, those of all mankind
....
“Et in peccatis concepit me mater mea!” In sin did my mother conceive me! (Psalm
51:5). I, like all men, came into the world stained with the guilt of our First Parents.
And then...my own sins: rebellions, thought about, desired, committed....
“To purify us of this rottenness, Jesus chose to humble Himself and take on the
form of a slave (cf. Philippians 2:7), becoming incarnate in the spotless womb of
our Lady, His Mother, who is also your Mother and mine. He spent thirty years in
obscurity, working like everyone else, at Joseph’s side. He preached. He worked
miracles.... And we repaid Him with a cross.
“Do you need more motives for contrition?” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way of the Cross,
IV, 2).
13-14. Both the commandment imposed by God on Adam, and the Mosaic Law,
threatened the transgressor with death; but the same cannot be said of the period
between Adam and Moses. In that period also people did sin against the natural
law written on every person’s heart (cf. 2:12ff). However, their sins “were not like
the transgression of Adam”, because the natural law did not explicitly bind under
pain of death. If, nevertheless, they in fact had to die, this proves, the Apostle con-
cludes, that death is due not to personal sins but to original sin. It is also proved,
the Fathers of the Church usually add, by the fact that some people die before
reaching the use of reason, that is, before they are capable of sinning.
Death is a consequence of original sin, because that sin brought with it the loss
of the “preternatural” gift of immortality (cf. Gen 2:17; 3:19). Adam incurred this
loss when, through a personal act of his, he broke an explicit, specific command
of God. Later, under the Mosaic Law, there were also certain precepts which in-
volved the death penalty if broken (cf., for example, Exod 21:12ff; Lev 24:16). In
the period from Adam to Moses there was no law which stated: If you sin, you
shall die. However, people in that period were all subject to death, even those
who committed no sin “like the transgression of Adam”, that is, what is termed
“actual sin”.
Therefore, death is due to a sin—original sin—which attaches to each man, woman
and child, yet which is not an “actual sin”. This original sin is the cause of death,
and the fact that everyone dies is the proof that everyone is affected by original
sin. The Second Vatican Council sums up this teaching as follows: “The Church,
taught by divine Revelation, declares that God has created man in view of a
blessed destiny that lies beyond the limits of his sad state on earth. Moreover,
the Christian faith teaches that bodily death, from which man would have been
immune had he not sinned (cf. Wis 1:13; 2:23-24; Rom 5:21; 6:23; Jas 1: 15), will
be overcome when that wholeness which he lost through his own fault will be gi-
ven once again to him by the almighty and merciful Savior. For God has called
man, and still calls him, to cleave with all his being to him in sharing for ever a
life that is divine and free from all decay” (”Gaudium Et Spes”, 18).
*********************************************************************************************
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: Matthew 10:26-33
Jesus’ Instructions to the Apostles (Continuation)
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
26-27. Jesus tells His disciples not to be afraid of calumny and detraction. A
day will come when everyone will come to know the whole truth about everyone
else, their real intentions, the true dispositions of their souls. In the meantime,
those who belong to God may be misrepresented by those who resort to lies,
out of malice or passion. These are the hidden things which will be made known.
Christ also tells the Apostles to speak out clearly. Jesus’ divine teaching me-
thod led Him to speak to the crowds in parables so that they came to discover
His true personality by easy stages. After the coming of the Holy Spirit (cf.
Acts 1:8), the Apostles would have to preach from the rooftops about what
Jesus had taught them.
We too have to make Christ’s doctrine known in its entirety, without any ambi-
guity, without being influenced by false prudence or fear of the consequences.
28. Using this and other Gospel texts (Matthew 5:22, 29; 18:9; Mark 9:43, 45,
47; Luke 12:5), the Church teaches that hell exists; there those who die in mor-
tal sin suffer eternal punishment (cf. “St. Pius V Catechism”, I, 6, 3), in a man-
ner not known to us in this life (cf. St. Teresa of Avila, “Life”, Chapter 32). See
notes on Luke 16:19-31.
Therefore, our Lord warns His disciples against false fear. We should not fear
those who can only kill the body. Only God can cast body and soul into hell.
Therefore God is the only one we should fear and respect; He is our Prince and
Supreme Judge—not men. The martyrs have obeyed this precept of the Lord in
the fullest way, well aware that eternal life is worth much more than earthly life.
29-31. An “as” (translated here as “penny”) was a small coin of very little value.
Christ uses it to illustrate how much God loves His creatures. As St. Jerome
says (”Comm. in Matth.”, 10:29-31): “If little birds, which are of such little value,
still come under the providence and care of God, how is it that you, who, given
the nature of your soul, are immortal, can fear that you are not looked after care-
fully by Him whom you respect as your Father?” Jesus again teaches us about
the fatherly providence of God, which He spoke about at length in the Sermon
on the Mount (cf. Matthew 6:19-34).
32-33. Here Jesus tells us that public confession of our faith in Him—whatever
the consequences—is an indispensable condition for eternal salvation. After the
Judgment, Christ will welcome those who have given testimony of their faith and
condemn those whom fear caused to be ashamed of Him (cf. Matthew 7:23; 25:
41; Revelation 21:8). The Church honors as “confessors” those Saints who have
not undergone physical martyrdom but whose lives bore witness to the Catholic
faith. Although every Christian should be ready to die for his faith, most Christians
are called to be confessors of the faith.
*********************************************************************************************
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.
Liturgical Colour: Green.
First reading |
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Jeremiah 20:10-13 © |
Responsorial Psalm |
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Psalm 68(69):8-10,14,17,33-35 © |
Second reading | Romans 5:12-15 © |
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Gospel Acclamation | Jn1:14,12 |
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Or | Jn15:26,27 |
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Gospel |
---|
Matthew 10:26-33 © |
Pray for Pope Francis.
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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.
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 Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]
St. Michael the Archangel
~ PRAYER ~
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
The devotion consists in the divine worship of the human heart of Christ, which is united to His divinity and which is a symbol of His love for us. The aim of the devotion is to make our Lord king over our hearts by prompting them to return love to Him (especially through an act of consecration by which we offer to the Heart of Jesus both ourselves and all that belongs to us) and to make reparation for our ingratitude to God.
INVOCATION
O Heart of love, I put all my trust in Thee; for I fear all things from my own weakness, but I hope for all things from Thy goodness.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART
Devotion to the Sacred Heart was the characteristic note of the piety of Saint Gertrude the Great (1256-1302), Benedictine nun and renowned mystic. She was, in fact, the first great exponent of devotion to the Sacred Heart. In our efforts to honor the Heart of Jesus we have this prayer as a model for our own:
Hail! O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and quickening source of eternal life, infinite treasure of the Divinity, and burning furnace of divine love. Thou art my refuge and my sanctuary, 0 my amiable Savior. Consume my heart with that burning fire with which Thine is ever inflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Thy love, and let my heart be so united with Thine, that our wills may be one, and mine in all things be conformed to Thine. May Thy divine will be equally the standard and rule of all my desires and of all my actions. Amen.
Saint Gertrude
FOR THE CHURCH
O most holy Heart of Jesus, shower Thy blessings in abundant measure upon Thy holy Church, upon the Supreme Pontiff and upon all the clergy; to the just grant perseverance; convert sinners; enlighten unbelievers; bless our relations, friends and benefactors; assist the dying; deliver the holy souls in purgatory; and extend over all hearts the sweet empire of Thy love. Amen.
A PRAYER OF TRUST
O God, who didst in wondrous manner reveal to the virgin, Margaret Mary, the unsearchable riches of Thy Heart, grant that loving Thee, after her example, in all things and above all things, we may in Thy Heart find our abiding home.
Roman Missal
ACT OF LOVE
Reveal Thy Sacred Heart to me, O Jesus, and show me Its attractions. Unite me to It for ever. Grant that all my aspirations and all the beats of my heart, which cease not even while I sleep, may be a testimonial to Thee of my love for Thee and may say to Thee: Yes, Lord, I am all Thine;
pledge of my allegiance to Thee rests ever in my heart will never cease to be there. Do Thou accept the slight amount of good that I do and be graciously pleased to repair all m] wrong-doing; so that I may be able to bless Thee in time and in eternity. Amen.
Cardinal Merry del Val
MEMORARE TO THE SACRED HEART
Remember, O most sweet Jesus, that no one who has had recourse to Thy Sacred Heart, implored its help, or sought its mercy was ever abandoned. Encouraged with confidence, O tenderest of hearts, we present ourselves before Thee, crushed beneath the weight of our sins. In our misery, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, despise not our simple prayers, but mercifully grant our requests. Amen.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
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"Behold this Heart which has loved men so much, and yet men do not want to love Me in return. Through you My divine Heart wishes to spread its love everywhere on earth."
- Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary
Our Lord also made 12 promises to St. Margaret Mary for those that are devoted to His Sacred Heart.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed.
From the highest heaven, God offers the riches of his grace to all men. He is himself the source of salvation and of light, whence mercy and goodness flow eternally. But not all men make use of his strength and his grace in the perfect exercise of virtue and the realization of its marvels; only those do it who put their resolutions into practice and who prove their attachment to God through actions, those who have completely turned away from evil, who firmly adhere to Gods commandments and who fix the eyes of their spirit on Christ, the Sun of justice (Mal 3:20).
From the highest heaven, Christ offers the help of his arm to those who fight, and he exhorts them through these words of the Gospel: Whoever acknowledges me before men I will acknowledge before my father in heaven. As a servant of God, every one of the saints acknowledges that, in this transitory life and before mortal men, he is for Christ; he does so during a short lapse of time and in the presence of a small number of men. Whereas our Lord Jesus Christ
will acknowledge us in the world of eternity, before God his Father, surrounded by the angels and the archangels and all the powers of heaven, in the presence of all men, from Adam to the end of time. For all will rise and will stand before Christs tribunal. Then, in the presence of all and visible to all, he will make known, he will glorify, and he will crown those who proved their faith to him until the end.
Thanks.
JoMa
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