THIRTEENTH SUNDAY
after Pentecost (20th S.
Ord. Time)
HAJJ Begins today— WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY
Wisdom, Chapter 17, Verse 12-15
12
For fear is nought but the surrender of the helps that come from
reason; 13
and the more one’s expectation is
of itself uncertain, the more one makes of not knowing the cause that brings on
torment.
14 So
they, during that night, powerless though it was, since it had come upon them
from the recesses of a powerless Hades, while all sleeping the same sleep, 15 Were
partly smitten by fearsome
apparitions and partly stricken by their souls’ surrender; for fear overwhelmed them, sudden and
unexpected.
The
Egyptians were filled with fear; terrifying fear without reason.
Fear
is an unsettlement of soul
consequent upon the apprehension of some present or future danger. It is here
viewed from the moral standpoint, that is, in so far as it is a factor to be
reckoned with in pronouncing upon the freedom of human acts, as well as
offering an adequate excuse for failing to comply with positive law,
particularly if the law
be of human origin. Lastly, it is here considered in so far as it impugns or
leaves intact, in the court of conscience, and without
regard to explicit enactment, the validity of certain deliberate engagements or
contracts. The division of fear most commonly in vogue among theologians is that by
which they distinguish serious fear (metus gravis) and trifling fear (metus
levis). The first is such as grows out of the discernment of some formidable
impending peril: if this be really, and without qualification, of large
proportions, then the fear is said to be absolutely great; otherwise it is only
relatively so, as for instance, when account is taken of the greater
susceptibility of certain classes of persons, such as old men, women, and children.
Trifling fear is that which arises from being confronted with harm of
inconsiderable dimensions, or, at any rate of whose happening there is only a
slender likelihood. It is customary also to note a fear in which the element of
reverence is uppermost (metus reverensalis), which has its source in the desire
not to offend one's parents
and superiors. In itself this is reputed to be but trifling, although from
circumstances it may easily rise to the dignity of a serious dread. A criterion
rather uniformly employed by moralists, to determine
what really and apart from subjective conditions is, a serious fear, is that
contained in this assertion. It is the feeling which is calculated to influence
a solidly balanced man (cadere in virum constantem). Another important
classification is that of fear which comes from some source within the person, for example, that
which is created by the knowledge
that one has contracted a fatal disease fear which comes from without, or is
produced namely, by some cause extrinsic to the terror-stricken subject. In the
last named instance the cause may be either natural, such as probable volcanic
eruptions, or recognizable in the attitude of some free agent. Finally it may
be observed that one may have been submitted to the spell of fear either justly
or unjustly,
according as the one who provokes this passion remains within his rights, or exceeds them,
in so doing. Actions done under stress of fear, unless of course it be so
intense as to have dethroned reason, are accounted the legitimate progeny of
the human will, or are, as the theologians say, simply voluntary, and therefore
imputable. The reason is obvious, such acts lack neither adequate advertence
nor sufficient consent, even though the latter be elicited only to avoid a
greater evil
or one conceived to be greater. Inasmuch, however, as they are accompanied by a
more or less vehement repugnance, they are said to be in a limited and partial
sense involuntary.[1]
GOSPEL. Luke xvii. 11-19
An increase in faith,
hope, and love.
At that time,
as Jesus was going to Jerusalem, He passed through the midst of Samaria in
Galilee. And as he entered into a certain town, there met Him ten men that were
lepers who stood afar oft: and lifted up their voice, saying: Jesus, Master,
have mercy on us. Whom when He saw, He said: Go, show yourselves to the
priests. And it came to pass, as they went they were made clean. And one of
them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice
glorifying God, and he fell on his face, before His feet, giving thanks; and
this was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering, said: Were not ten made clean? and
where are the nine? There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but
this stranger. And He said to him: Arise, go thy way: for thy faith hath made
thee whole.
What, in a spiritual sense, does leprosy mean? In a spiritual sense leprosy means
sin, especially the sin of impurity. The Jewish law divided leprosy into three
kinds, namely, that of the flesh, that of garments, and that of houses. The
leprosy of the flesh may be likened to the impure, who easily corrupt others;
the leprosy of garments, to luxury of dress and scandalous fashions, by which
not only souls are seduced into sin, but many families and communities are
brought to poverty and plunged into eternal ruin; the leprosy of houses, to
places where wicked and immoral servants are kept; where immodest dances and
plays occur, where licentious acts are committed, where meetings are allowed
and encouraged to the injury of virtue and of our neighbor’s honor, where
assistance or advice is given in wicked undertakings of any sort.
Why did the lepers stand afar off? Because it was thus commanded by
the Jewish law, so that no one might catch contagion from them. From this we
learn that we must as carefully shun scandalous persons, companies, and houses,
as we would the plague. He that toucheth
pitch shall be defiled with it, and he that hath fellowship with the proud
shall put on pride.” (Ecclus. xiii. 1).
Why did Jesus ask for the nine others who also were
made clean? To
show how greatly ingratitude displeases Him. Injuries to Himself He generally
submitted to in silence; but this ingratitude He would not suffer to pass
uncondemned. So great a sin is ingratitude. On this account St. Bernard says, “Ingratitude
is an enemy of the soul that destroys merit, corrupts virtue, and prevents
grace. It is a scorching wind that dries up the fountain of the goodness and
the mercy of God.”
Why does God require us to be grateful? This question St. Chrysostom
answers very beautifully by saying: “God requires gratitude of us only that He
may confer on us new graces.” Then let us not forget to thank Him morning and
evening; before and after meals; as often as you recognize His blessing in your
house, in your children, in your property, your cattle, your fields, your
fruits. St. Augustine says: “We cannot think, speak, or write anything better
or more acceptable than, Thanks be to God!”
Instruction on The
Sacrament of Holy Orders.
“Go, show yourselves to the priests” Luke xvii. 14.
What are Holy Orders? A sacrament in which the priestly
power is conferred on the candidate, together with a special grace to discharge
its sacred functions.
What is the outward sign of this sacrament? The laying on of hands and the
prayer of the bishop, and the presentation of the chalice with bread and wine,
together with the verbal communication of authority to change the bread and
wine into the body and blood of Christ, and to remit and retain sins.
When did Christ institute this sacrament? At the Last Supper, when, after
changing the bread into His true body, and the wine into His true blood, He
said to His apostles, “Do this for a commemoration of Me” (Luke xxii. 19).
Are Holy Orders reckoned a sacrament by the apostles? Yes; for St. Paul admonishes His
disciple Timothy to stir up the grace of God received by the imposition of his
hands. Hereby St. Paul teaches expressly that by the imposition of the hands of
the apostles, or of the bishops, who are their successors, the grace of God is
imparted to priests, in which consists th substance of the sacrament. Pray,
then, for the priests; askng fervently of God, particularly on ember-days, to
give His Church faithful pastors. Jesus Himself commands it, saying, the
harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord
of the harvest that He send laborers into His Harvest” (Luke x. 2).
I sought the LORD,
and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
The Hajj starts today. Hajj is a holy pilgrimage to
Mecca that is obligatory for all Muslims who can afford to go. The 3rd chapter
of the Quran, Surah Ale-Imran makes Hajj mandatory. During this
pilgrimage, Muslims try to get closer to God. The Hajj is performed in the last
month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul-Hijjah. All Muslims who can afford to
go on the Hajj are required to do so at least once in their life. Muslims
believe that the Prophet Abraham built the Ka'aba with his son Ismael. Kaaba is
a sacred cube-shaped shrine at the centre Al-Masjid al-Haram mosque, in
Mecca (Saudi Arabia). Muslims walk around the Ka'bah seven times as part
of the Hajj. Muslims face to pray in the direction of the Ka'bah no
matter where they are in the world. It was the first house built solely
for the purpose of worshipping God. To be completed, the Hajj requires a
minimum of five days, during which pilgrim’s travel across Arabia to complete
various rituals, some of which are optional, but considered highly beneficial.
Hajj
Facts
·
According
to Sahih Bukhari (one of the six main hadith writings of Sunni Islam), the
Prophet Muhammad once said that those who finish the Hajj without committing
any obscenity or transgression will have their sins completely wiped away.
·
It
is believed that to teach Muslims to remain humble and unified, God mandated
the Hajj. During it, everyone wears the same clothes, prays together, and
goes around the Ka'bah together.
·
According
to the Saudi Arabian Embassy, the Hajj is the largest gathering of human beings
on the Earth.
·
Visit
the mountains of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah in Mecca. Pilgrims walk between
two hills, Safa and Marwa, seven times during the Hajj because they believe
that Hagar, the wife of Abraham, did the same when looking for water for her
thirsty baby Ismael. As soon as she finished her seventh run, the Zamzam
well sprung out from under baby Ismael's foot. To this day, pilgrims on
the Hajj drink the Zamzam's water, and often take it home with them in large
canisters.
·
Visit
the tower at Jamrat-al-Aqabah (Saudi Arabia). After sunset on the day of
Arafah, as part of the Hajj, pilgrims throw small pebbles at Jamrat-al-Aqabah.
This is the place where it is believed the Devil stood as he tried to
tempt Abraham from carrying out orders from God. This is act commemorates
and symbolizes Abraham's rejecting of the devil.
Today we are bombarded with conflicting versions of
Muslims and Islamin the media. This guide is intended to help all people in the
Roman Catholic Church to present Islam accurately and in ways that preserve and
promote “together for the benefit of all mankind social justice and moral
welfare, as well as peace and freedom” (Nostra Aetate3). In spite of the many
conflicts and hostilities that have arisen between Muslims and Christians over
the centuries, as Christians we are called to reject violence and to live in
fraternal love with all human beings. This document intends to identify some of
those beliefs and values that Muslims and Christians have in common, as well as
some differences, so as to assist those whom we are teaching to live
harmoniously together with understanding and respect and to work for peace more
effectively. Understanding Islam and Muslims the name Islam means “submission”
and those who submit to God are Muslims. The terms have the same Arabic root as
the word for peace, Salam. Muslims believe that peace comes through the
submission to the one and only God. Although it is often associated with
Muslims alone, the name of God in Arabic, Allah (al-Lah– “the God”), is the
same name used by Christians and Jews. When saying the name of Allah, Muslims
enerally say: “Subhanahu wa ta’aalaa”, which means “May He be glorified and
exalted”. Muslims and Christians share many common beliefs in their worship of
a single Creator God who loves creation and who commands that His most
cherished creations, human beings, love Him, one another, and His creation. In
some ways, however, Muslims and Christians have profoundly different beliefs.
Muslims do not believe in the Trinitarian nature of God, nor do they accept
that Jesus Christ is God incarnate. They believe, however, that Jesus is one of
the five most distinguished Prophets of God sent to mankind. Christians, on the
other hand, do not recognize Muhammad as a prophet, and do not accept many
aspects of the message he preached, including dietary restrictions, polygamy,
and other teachings. For Muslims, Muhammad is the recipient of God’s final
revelation, the Qur’an, and the model for all human beings, in much the same
way as the Virgin Mary is for many Christians. But Muhammad’s role as prophet,
law giver and military leader is more similar to that of Moses in the Old
Testament. Muhammad is not worshipped by Muslims –he is recognized by them as
the final Prophet, the Seal of the prophets, sent by God and is the object of
great reverence and devotion. Christians do not accord Muhammad the same status
as the biblical prophets but may regard him as aprophetic figure on such issues
as charity and the protection of the poor, widows and orphans.
World Humanitarian Day seeks to recognize the
compassion and bravery of humanitarian workers. The day also serves to gain
international cooperation to meet the needs of humanitarian work around the
world. Humanitarian workers provide life-saving assistance consisting of
first aid, nutrition, shelter and help rebuild after disaster has struck. These
workers often battle violence, local diseases and hunger while attempting to
save lives and provide relief to those most in need. World Humanitarian Day was
designated by the United Nations in December of 2008 in an effort to honor the
sacrifices of humanitarian workers. It is celebrated annually on August 19, a
day that commemorates the 2003 bombing of the UN Headquarters in Iraq.
World
Humanitarian Day Facts & Quotes
·
It
is estimated that approximately 22 billion dollars of aid was given worldwide
in 2013, though there is no official way to track exactly how much money is
spent.
·
The
US is the top national donor in terms of raw dollars allocated to humanitarian
aid. In 2013 it gave approximately 4.7 billion dollars. However, among
developed nations, it donates the lowest percentage of its GDP.
·
Despite
all the money and aid that is being given for humanitarian relief, it is still
estimated that one-third of all global humanitarian needs are not being met.
"Read
these counsels slowly. Pause to meditate on these thoughts. They are things
that I whisper in your ear-confiding them-as a friend, as a brother, as a
father. And they are being heard by God. I won't tell you anything new. I will
only stir your memory, so that some thought will arise and strike you; and so
you will better your life and set out along ways of prayer and of Love. And in
the end you will be a more worthy soul."
40. 'They have the stuff of saints in them.' At times you hear this
said of some people. Apart from the fact that the saints were not made of
'stuff, to have stuff is not sufficient. A great spirit of obedience to your
Director and great readiness to respond to grace are essential. For, if you
don't allow God's grace and your Director to do their work, there will never
appear the finished sculpture, Christ's image, into which the saintly man is
fashioned. And the 'stuff' of which we were speaking will be no more than a
heap of shapeless matter, fit only for the fire..., for a good fire if it was
good stuff!
·
Please
Pray for Senator
McCain and our country; asking Our Lady of Beauraing to
intercede.
[2]Goffine’s
Devout Instructions, 1896.
[3]
http://www.wincalendar.com/Hajj
[6]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm
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