Reading 1 Ez 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32

The word of the LORD came to me:
Son of man, what is the meaning of this proverb
that you recite in the land of Israel:

"Fathers have eaten green grapes,
thus their children's teeth are on edge"?

As I live, says the Lord GOD:
I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among you
who will repeat this proverb in Israel.
For all lives are mine;
the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine;
only the one who sins shall die.

If a man is virtuous—if he does what is right and just,
if he does not eat on the mountains,
nor raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel;
if he does not defile his neighbor's wife,
nor have relations with a woman in her menstrual period;
if he oppresses no one,
gives back the pledge received for a debt,
commits no robbery;
if he gives food to the hungry and clothes the naked;
if he does not lend at interest nor exact usury;
if he holds off from evildoing,
judges fairly between a man and his opponent;
if he lives by my statutes and is careful to observe my ordinances,
that man is virtuous—he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD.

But if he begets a son who is a thief, a murderer,
or lends at interest and exacts usury–
this son certainly shall not live.
Because he practiced all these abominations, he shall surely die;
his death shall be his own fault.

Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel,
each one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD.
Turn and be converted from all your crimes,
that they may be no cause of guilt for you.
Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed,
and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
Why should you die, O house of Israel?
For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,
says the Lord GOD. Return and live!

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Jane Frances De Chantal

Feast Day: August 18
Born: 1572 :: Died: 1641

Jane was born in Dijon, in France. Her father who was a devout man brought up his children well after the death of his wife.

Jane, whom he dearly loved, married Christopher, the baron de Chantal. Jane and Christopher loved each other very much. God blessed them with six children, four of whom lived. Jane showed her love for God by loving her husband and children with her whole heart.

Then, suddenly, that happy home suddenly became sad. Baron Christopher was accidentally shot by a friend who had gone hunting with him. When he died, Jane was heart-broken. She forgave the man who had caused his death and even became his child's godmother.

St. Jane asked the Lord to send a holy priest into her life to guide her. In the meantime, she prayed and brought up her children in the love of God. She visited the poor and the sick and comforted the dying.

When she met St. Francis de Sales, she knew this was the holy man God had sent to guide her. We celebrate his feast on January 24.

Under his guidance, Jane and three other young women started the order of the Visitation. But first, she had to make sure that her children, although older, were settled.

Although she had other responsibilities and challenges, Jane tried to follow God's plan as she saw it, no matter how difficult. St. Jane faced all the difficulties with courage. She opened up many convents and prayed to God for help when she was tempted to do wrong.

St. Vincent de Paul, wrote "Despite all her suffering, her face never lost its peaceful look. And she was always faithful to God. So I consider her one of the holiest souls I have ever met." St. Jane died on December 13, 1641.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: August 18th

Saturday of the Nineteenth Week of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

August 18, 2018 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Almighty ever-living God, whom, taught by the Holy Spirit, we dare to call our Father, bring, we pray, to perfection in our hearts the spirit of adoption as your sons and daughters, that we may merit to enter into the inheritance which you have promised. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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St. Helena and the True Cross | Fr. William Saunders

» Enjoy our Liturgical Seasons series of e-books!

Old Calendar: St. Agapitus, martyr; St. Helena, widow

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Agapitus, a martyr of Palestrina, not far from Rome. His cult, which is very ancient, was particularly popular in the eternal city where Felix III (492) caused a church to be built in his honor. Ancient inscriptions show clearly the great confidence placed in the intercession of this martyr. It is also the feast of St. Helena, empress and mother of Constantine the Great. She discovered the True Cross in a rock-cistern near Mt. Calvary.

St. Agapitus
The Office offers these legendary details: "Agapitus was only fifteen years old but already his heart was all aglow with the desire to die as a martyr. Upon orders from the Emperor Aurelian (ca. 257), he was mercilessly whipped with leaded scourges, then thrown into a vile basement to remain there four days without food. After further punishment under the lash, he was suspended head downwards over a smoldering fire so that he should die from the smoke; boiling water was dashed against him, and his jaws were battered. When wild beasts hesitated to harm him, he was beheaded with the sword."

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.

Things to Do:

A boy of fifteen years a full-fledged hero! Has he any lesson for modern youth? Of you Christ is not demanding such suffering, neither blood nor death. But He is demanding a will that can say NO to the allurements of sin, a will that can bend itself humbly in obedience. In this you have opportunity to be a youthful hero.

St. Helena
It was the pious boast of the city of Colchester, England, for many ages, that St. Helena was born within its walls; and though this honor has been disputed, it is certain that she was a British princess. She embraced Christianity late in life; but her incomparable faith and piety greatly influenced her son Constantine, the first Christian emperor, and served to kindle a holy zeal in the hearts of the Roman people. Forgetful of her high dignity, she delighted to assist at the Divine Office amid the poor; and by her alms-deeds showed herself a mother to the indigent and distressed.

In her eightieth year she made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, with the ardent desire of discovering the cross on which our blessed Redeemer suffered. After many labors, three crosses were found on Mount Calvary, together with the nails and the inscription recorded by the Evangelists. It still remained to identify the true cross of Our Lord. By the advice of the bishop, Macarius, the three were applied successively to a woman afflicted with an incurable disease, and no sooner had the third touched her than she arose, perfectly healed. The pious empress, transported with joy, built a, most glorious church on Mount Calvary to receive the precious relic, sending portions of it to Rome and Constantinople, where they were solemnly exposed to the adoration of the faithful.

In the year 312 Constantine found himself attacked by Maxentius with vastly superior forces, and the very existence of his empire threatened. In this crisis he bethought him of the crucified Christian God Whom his mother Helena worshiped, and kneeling down, prayed God to reveal Himself and give him the victory. Suddenly, at noonday, a cross of fire was seen by his army in the calm and cloudless sky, and beneath it the words, In hoc signo vinces—"Through this sign thou shalt conquer." By divine command, Constantine made a standard like the cross he had seen, which was borne at the head of his troops; and under this Christian ensign they marched against the enemy, and obtained a complete victory. Shortly after, Helena herself returned to Rome, where she expired, 328.

Excerpted from Butler's Lives of the Saints

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Matthew 19:13-15

Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Let the children come to me. (Matthew 19:14)

In Jesus’ day, as in our own, some people were valued far more than others. Religious leaders and people from wealthy families were highly respected. Far lower down came laborers like fishermen, lower still women of any class, and, at the very bottom, children. So it’s not surprising that Jesus’ disciples shooed away the children who approached him.

But Jesus would have none of this. He valued the children and made it clear to the disciples that the kingdom of heaven belonged “to such as these” (Matthew 19:14).

Today children may be more highly valued, but there are two glaring exceptions: children who are yet to be born and children with disabilities. They belong in the same low status as people near the end of their lives, people suffering with dementia, people regarded as foreigners, and people who lack homes, skills, or resources.

This devaluing goes right against the way of Jesus. He values every individual he creates. He treasures them and always has time for them. He did this during his ministry when he touched lepers, broke bread with prostitutes, and spoke tenderly to a woman accused of infidelity.

Jesus didn’t stop showing care for the needy when he ascended into heaven. He continues to do it every day through his people. Through missionaries to poor nations, through religious brothers and sisters who live among the inner-city poor, and through every person who ventures into a nursing home or inside prison walls—through all these ways and more, he continues to shower his love on the poor and the outcast.

What do your gestures reveal? Are you more like the welcoming Jesus, or more like the class-conscious disciples? The next time you encounter a person who is different than you, don’t just pass him or her by. Say hello. Take time to learn that person’s name. Look that person in the eye, and wait patiently to allow him to tell his story. Who knows? Perhaps there is a way you can lend a hand.

Jesus treasures each person. As he let the children come near to him, you can let people come close to you.

“Jesus, show me how highly you value the ‘least of these.’ Teach me so that my words and actions toward them mirror yours.”

Ezekiel 18:1-10, 13, 30-32
Psalm 51:12-15, 18-19

Daily Gospel Commentary

St. Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga

Priest (1901-1952)

Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) priest, founder of religious communities Addresses to the Daughters of Charity, 7/12/1643 (Conference of the 7th December 1643)

God’s tenderness towards children

God takes as much delight, my daughters, in seeing the service you offer to children as he does in their little babblings and even in their little cries and tears. Each one of those cries touches God’s heart with confusion. And you too, my dear Sisters, when you comfort them when they cry, giving them the attention they need for love of God and in honor of Our Lord’s childhood, aren’t you pleasing God? And isn’t God honored by the cries and wailings of these little ones? So take heart, my daughters! Love caring for these infants through whose mouths God receives perfect praise. It isn’t just me who says so, Sisters, but the prophet: “In the mouths of infants at the breast is your perfect praise.” Oh my daughters, so it is true since Holy Scripture says so.

See how fortunate you are to care for these little ones who give God perfect praise and in whom God’s goodness takes such great pleasure, a pleasure that is, in a certain sense, just like that of mothers who have no greater consolation than to view the little acts of their children. They admire everything and love everything. In the same way that God, who is their father, takes great pleasure in all their little doings.

Regnum Christi

August 18, 2018 – The Parental Vocation

17 Aug 2018

Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Father Steven Reilly, LC

Matthew 19: 13-15

Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After he placed his hands on them, he went away.

Introductory Prayer: Lord God, I believe in your presence here with me as I begin this moment of prayer. I hope in you. I know that you will always take care of me. I want this time with you to be a sign of my love for you. I seek only to please you, without desiring any spiritual consolation for myself.

Petition: Lord, help me to be faithful in carrying out the commitments of my state of life.

Bringing the Children to Jesus: Being a parent is a lofty vocation. To be entrusted with the integral formation and eternal salvation of another human being is a task that is enough to make one dissolve into fear and trembling. Above all, parents must show the good spiritual instincts of the people in today’s Gospel: They have to bring their children to Jesus. They need to teach them to pray, to go to Mass and above all, to learn that Jesus truly is their best friend with whom they can share everything. What a gift to give to children!

“Do Not Prevent Them”: There are many ways to hinder a child’s path to Christ. Our bad example is one of the main ones. Children pick up on the incoherence between our admonitions and our actual behavior. It’s particularly unnerving when a parent begins to see his own defects mirrored in his children. That can serve as a warning call that we need to be living the Christian life with more authenticity. Our example needs to be a catalyst towards the good.

The Kingdom of Heaven Belongs to Such as These: A good Catholic parent has only one true bottom-line aspiration for his kids: that they get to heaven! This is worth all the prayers, sacrifices and late nights. Precisely because the Kingdom is where they belong, parents should have immense confidence that the Lord will send them the graces they need to persevere and carry out their mission effectively. Christ is the parent’s biggest cheerleader! He wants nothing more than that happy reunion in heaven, where the parent will hear those wonderful words from his child, “Thanks for helping me to get here.”

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for my parents, and all they did to help me grow in the faith. I am sorry for the times I judged them harshly. Grant them your abundant blessing.

Resolution: I will say a special prayer for my parents (especially if deceased) and give them a call to thank them.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 34, Issue 5

<< Saturday, August 18, 2018 >>

Ezekiel 18:1-10, 13, 30-32
View Readings

Psalm 51:12-15, 18-19

Matthew 19:13-15
Similar Reflections

LOVE CHILDREN, DON'T HINDER THEM

"Jesus said: 'Let the children come to Me. Do not hinder them.' " �Matthew 19:14

Jesus loves children. This means not only that He gives them special graces but also that He expects us to provide the best circumstances for children to grow. This means Jesus expects us to:

try hard to stop abortion and contraception,
change our lifestyle and make any other decisions necessary to do something about the millions of starving children in the world,
promote the covenant of marriage, in which children should be conceived and raised,
not condone promiscuity, which often deprives children of two parents,
pray and be compassionate with those hurting from divorce,
if married, pray daily with your spouse for your children,
pray daily with your family,
fight hard against all pornography, in particular child pornography,
promote parents as the primary educators of their children,
promote daily family catechesis, especially family Bible reading, and
censor TV and other media so that nothing enters our homes and consciousness which Jesus has not approved.

To love children entails many things. We must sacrifice to love children, for Jesus has clearly shown this to be His will. Love children as Jesus loves children.

Prayer: Father, I will take up the cross of loving children.

Promise: "I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, says the Lord God. Return and live!" —Ez 18:32

Praise: The desire to attend Mass is so strong in Thomas that he rises an hour early to attend morning Mass before high-school.

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August 18, 2018

Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Ez 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32

Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19

Alleluia See Mt 11:25

Gospel Mt 19:13-15

St. Jane Frances De Chantal

Ordinary Time: August 18th

Saturday of the Nineteenth Week of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

COLLECT PRAYER

Recipes (1)

Activities (5)

Prayers (3)

Library (1)

Meditation: Matthew 19:13-15

August 18, 2018 – The Parental Vocation

Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

One Bread, One Body

LOVE CHILDREN, DON'T HINDER THEM

Prayer for the Dying