Sixteen Sunday af. Pentecost (26th S. Ord. Time)
FEAST OF SAINT MICHAEL- ROSH HASHANAH begins at sundown
2
Maccabees, Chapter 12, Verse 22
But
when Judas’ first cohort appeared, the enemy was overwhelmed with fear and terror at the manifestation of
the all-seeing One. Scattering in every direction, they rushed away in such
headlong flight that in many cases they wounded one another, pierced by the
points of their own swords.
With the death of
Antiochus IV the gang warfare of sorts ceases for a while, yet the problem with
Hellenization has not ended and the temple needs to be defended by Judas. Small
battles ensue and although Antiochus VI is dead the real power was placed in Lysias
who was in charge of the government and military. Judas defeats him with the
power of God when a mysterious horseman appears to help the armies of the Lord.
Peace with the Syrians is temporary, but the gang warfare continues. Judas
marches into the Transjordan when he comes upon a large force which he engages.
Here we see that despite the enemies of God having an overwhelming force they
are put to route by a mysterious being (all seeing) and flee causing their own
destruction.[1]
IN the Introit of
the Mass let us implore, with great confidence, the mercy of God. “Have mercy
on me, O Lord, for I have cried to Thee all the day; for Thou, O Lord, art
sweet, and mild, and plenteous in mercy, to all that call upon Thee. Bow down
Thy ear to me, O Lord, and hear me, for I am needy and poor”. (Ps. Ixxxv.).
Prayer. May Thy grace, O
Lord, ever precede and follow us, and make us ever intent upon good works.
EPISTLE. Eph. iii. 13-21.
Brethren: I pray
you not to faint at my tribulations for you: which is your glory. For this
cause I bow my knees to the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom all
paternity in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to
the riches of His glory, to be strengthened by His Spirit with might unto the
inward man, that Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts: that being rooted
and founded in charity, you may be able to comprehend, with all the saints,
what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth: to know also the
charity of Christ, which surpasseth all knowledge, that you may be filled unto
all the fulness of God. Now to Him Who is able to do all things more abundantly
than we desire or understand, according to the power that worketh in us: to Him
be glory in the Church, and in Christ Jesus, unto all generations, world
without end. Amen.
Explanation. St. Paul was in
prison at Rome when he wrote this epistle, and was anxious lest the Ephesians
might think that the faith, the proclaimers of which were thus persecuted, was
not from God. He therefore exhorts them to remain firm in their belief; assures
them that his sufferings would be for their glory if they remained as firm as
he: and prays that they may be enlightened to know the love of God that is,
what Christ had done and suffered for us. Hence, we learn to ask earnestly of
God grace to understand the mysteries of faith.
Aspiration. O heavenly
Father, according to the example of St. Paul, I humbly pray that Thy spirit,
Thy knowledge, Thy charity, may be deeply implanted in us, that Thou mayest
possess our hearts, and that we, filled with all the fulness of Thy grace, may
serve Thee more perfectly, and give Thee thanks forever.
GOSPEL. Luke xiv. 1-11.
At that time, when Jesus went into the
house of one of the chief of the Pharisees, on the Sabbath-day, to eat bread,
they watched Him. And behold there was a certain man be fore Him that had the
dropsy. And Jesus answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying: Is it
lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day? But they held their peace. But He, taking
him, healed him, and sent him away. And answering them, He said: Which of you
shall have an ass or an ox fall into a pit, and will not immediately draw him
out on the Sabbath day? And they could not answer Him to these things. And He
spoke a parable also to them that were invited, marking how they chose the
first seats at the table, saying to them: When thou art invited to a wedding, sit
not down in the first place, lest perhaps one more honorable than thou be
invited by him, and he that inviteth thee and him, come and say to thee: Give
this man place: and then thou begin with shame to take the lowest place: but
when thou art invited, go sit down in the lowest place: that when he who
invited thee cometh, he may say to thee: Friend, go up higher. Then shalt thou
have glory before them that sit at the table with thee. Because everyone that
exalteth himself shall be humbled: and he that humbleth himself shall be
exalted.
Why did the Pharisees watch Jesus so closely?
To discover something in Him for which they might
censure and accuse Him. How like them are those Christians who watch every step
of their neighbors, and particularly of priests, hoping to find something for
which to blame them, and represent them as evil persons!
Who is, spiritually, like the man with the
dropsy? The avaricious man; for as a dropsical
person is never satisfied with drinking, so the avaricious man never has
enough; and like the dropsy, too, avarice is hard to cure, since it grows worse
with age, and generally does not leave a man till he comes to the grave.
Why is avarice reckoned among the seven
deadly sins? Because it is the root of many evils; for
it leads to usury, theft, the use of false weights and measures, to the
retaining of unjustly gotten goods, to the oppression of the poor, of widows
and orphans, to the denial and suppression of justice, to apostasy from the
faith, and to despair. Hence the Apostle says, “They that will become rich fall
into temptation and into the snare of the devil, and into many unprofitable and
hurtful desires, which drown men into destruction and perdition” (i.Tim. vi.
9). An efficacious remedy for avarice is the consideration that we are only the
stewards, and not the owners of our goods, of which we can take nothing with us
at the hour of our death (i. Tim. vi. 7); and that one-day God will require of
us a strict account of what we have had.
Commentary
"'For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he
who humbles himself shall be exalted".
Jesus reveals His Love by curing the victim of dropsy[3]. Love overcomes all human obstacles.
The humble man does not, of course, expose his talents to the contempt of
others. But he does recognize that every best gift is from above, loaned
not for himself alone, but for his less favored neighbor as well. For this
reason, I bend my knees to the Father, exclaims St. Paul, as he reflects on
His glorious riches: how Divine love PURGES us by strength through
His Spirit, ILLUMINATES us through our faith and then UNITES
us in Christ's love. . .unto. . .the fullness of God. Humbly must we recognize the power that is
at work in us.
SAINT MICHAEL is the prince of the heavenly armies, who first contended
against the proud Lucifer. The holy Church honors him as a particular defender,
and the faithful call upon him in all dangers of soul and body, but they
particularly implore his intercession at the hour of death, in order that,
after having, according to his example, courageously fought against Satan, they
may receive the crown of victory, and that their souls may by him be brought
before the throne of God. Let us also venerate him, and, full of confidence,
cry out with the holy Church, “Holy archangel Michael, protect us in battle
that we may not perish in the tremendous judgment.”
Prayer. O God, Who with wonderful order
dost direct the ministry of angels and of men, mercifully grant that our life
on earth may be protected by those who ever minister before Thee in heaven.
Through Christ Jesus our Lord etc. Amen.
EPISTLE. Apocalypse i. 1-5.
In
those days God made known the things which must shortly come to pass : and
signified, sending by His angel to His servant John, who hath given testimony
to the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, what things soever He
hatli seen. Blessed is he that readeth and heareth the words of this prophecy:
and keepeth those things which are written in it. For the time is at hand. John
to the seven churches which are in Asia : Grace be unto you and peace from Him
that is, and that was, and that is to come, and from the seve:i spirits which
are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, Who is the faithful witness, the
first- begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, Who hath
loved us, and washed us from our sins, in His own blood. This epistle is read
to-day because St. Michael so bravely contended against the sedition of Satan,
and, after gaining the victory, drove him and his adherents from heaven.
GOSPEL. Matt, xviii. 1-10.
At that time
the disciples came to Jesus, saying: Who thinkest Thou is the greater in the
kingdom of heaven? And Jesus calling unto Him a little child, set him in the
midst of them, and said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become
as little children, you shall not enter into the king dom of heaven. Whosoever
therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the
kingdom of heaven. And he that shall receive one such little child in My name
receiveth Me. But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that
believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his
neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea. Wo to the world
because of scandals. For it must needs be that scandals come: but nevertheless,
wo to that man by whom the scandal cometh. And if thy hand or thy foot
scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from tliee. It is better for thee to
go into life maimed or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into
everlasting fire. And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out, and cast it
from thee. It is better for thee having one eye to enter into life, than having
two eyes to be cast into hell fire. See that you despise not one of these
little ones : for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face
of My Father Who is in heaven.
Prayer
to St. Michael the Archangel
Great
prince of heaven, St. Michael, to thy protection I commend my soul and body,
and, by the glory which thou possessest in heaven, I beseech thee that thou
wouldst ever assist me, particularly at the close of my life; that thou wouldst
strengthen my faint-heartedness, and obtain for me from God the remission of my
sins, and an entire submission to His holy will, that my soul may depart full
of comfort. Then receive it, and bring it, under the guidance of the holy
angels, before the face of God, to enjoy the contemplation of Him for all
eternity. Amen.
The Church of God has always considered
Saint Michael as its special protector. The archangel himself has acknowledged
this to Constantine after the completion of a church in his honor saying, “I am Michael, the chief of the angelic
legions of the Lord of hosts, the protector of the Christian religion, who
whilst thou wast battling against godless tyrants, placed the weapons in thy
hands.” Assuredly, St. Michael will not fail to come to the aid of our Holy
Church. His assistance shall be forth coming in these troubled times when
legions of evil are visible throughout the world exciting the minds of men. We
behold their activities in the events of the media and the world-wide
propaganda against morality and religion everywhere. Yet, despite this we are
beneath his mighty leadership and with the aid of his own unvanquishable
legions we shall not fail.
Michaelmas
(September 29th)
Consequently, Michaelmas (pronounced "mikk-el-mes") was one of the great public holidays and religious feasts of early and medieval Europe. Saint Michael's parades, Michael's fairs, Michael's Plays, etc. would in many places constitute the climax of autumn harvest celebrations. Michaelmas also coincided with the "quarter days" in Northern Europe, one of the four times in the year when free men would sit in court, make laws, and pay rents.[6]
- This is a good feast to learn more about the
angels. Children especially are fascinated by these celestial beings. The
best place to start is the Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 328-336 to see the
teachings of the Church on angels. John Paul II also did a Catechesis on the Angels during his
General Audiences from July 9 to August 20, 1986.
- Find the passages in the Bible about angels, in
particular the passages about Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.
- Read the section on angels in the Directory on Popular
Piety and Liturgy. The document examines the doctrine and
devotions of the angels. Devotion to angels is good, but also can have
deviations.
Devotion to the
Holy Angels gives rise to a certain form of the Christian life which is
characterized by:
- devout
gratitude to God for having placed these heavenly spirits of great
sanctity and dignity at the service of man;
- an attitude
of devotion deriving from the knowledge of living constantly in the
presence of the Holy Angels of God — serenity and confidence in facing
difficult situations, since the Lord guides and protects the faithful in
the way of justice through the ministry of His Holy Angels. Among the
prayers to the Guardian Angels the Angele Dei is especially
popular, and is often recited by families at morning and evening prayers,
or at the recitation of the Angelus.
217. Popular devotion to the Holy
Angels, which is legitimate and good, can, however, also give rise to possible
deviations:
- when, as
sometimes can happen, the faithful are taken by the idea that the world
is subject to demiurgical struggles, or an incessant battle between good
and evil spirits, or Angels and daemons, in which man is left at the
mercy of superior forces and over which he is helpless; such cosmologies
bear little relation to the true Gospel vision of the struggle to
overcome the devil, which requires moral commitment, a fundamental option
for the Gospel, humility and prayer;
- when the
daily events of life, which have nothing or little to do with our
progressive maturing on the journey towards Christ are read schematically
or simplistically, indeed childishly, so as to ascribe all setbacks to
the devil and all success to the Guardian Angels. The practice of
assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the
cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy
Scripture.
- Also read All About the Angels.
- Memorize the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel.
Although no longer formally recited after Mass, our Holy Father John Paul
II has encouraged us to recite this prayer daily. Read about this prayer. Here is the
Regina Caeli message from
April 24, 1994 during which the pope encouraged this prayer.
- In honor of St. Gabriel, Learn the Angelus and recite
it daily. Traditionally, the prayer is prayed at the 6:00 and 12:00 hours
(am and pm). There is a partial indulgence attached to those who pray this
prayer.
- Read the Book of Tobit for the
story of St. Raphael helping Tobit and Tobias.
- Make some recipes related to Michaelmas. Of
special mention is the St. Michael Bannock from Scotland, roast goose and
stuffing from Britain, waffles from France, and roast duck from Germany or
France, gnocchi from Italy. Blackberries, apples and carrots also play a
large role on this feast in various countries. Other ideas: make an angel
food cake, devil's food cake or angel hair pasta. Decorate with white,
symbolizing the angels, or use other symbolic colors (see above).
Non-dessert items: deviled eggs, deviled meats, etc.
- Try to find the Michaelmas daisy, a purple aster,
to use for decoration. It also comes in other colors, including white, but
purple is the most popular. It usually blooms in late summer until
October. The official name is Aster novi-belgii, but is also known
as New York aster. If you find plants or seeds to plan for next year's
garden. This site has photos and gardening information for the Michaelmas daisy.
- Folklore in the British Isles suggests that
Michaelmas day is the last day that blackberries can be picked. It is said
that when St. Michael expelled Lucifer, the devil, from heaven, he fell
from the skies and landed in a prickly blackberry bush. Satan cursed the
fruit, scorched them with his fiery breath, and stamped and spat on them,
so that they would be unfit for eating. A traditional Irish proverb says:
On Michaelmas Day the devil puts his foot on the blackberries.
If you have access to blackberries,
make this the last picking and eating. Perhaps make a blackberry pie? See Michaelmas Pie for a great recipe.
Rosh Hashanah
(Hebrew: ראש
השנה) is the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah literally
translates to the Head of the Year. It is a two-day festival. In
the Bible, it is called Yom Ha-Zikkaron, the day of remembrance or Yom Teruah
the day of the sounding of the shofar-(Leviticus 23:24-25). Jews start Rosh
Hashanah festivals with lighting of the candles and synagogue prayers. On
the eve of Rosh Hashanah, Jews eat an apple dipped in honey to signify a sweet
new year to come. They also place a fish’s head at the table to
commemorate 'being a head and not a tail'.
Rosh Hashanah Facts
·
In synagogues it
is common for 100 notes to be sounded with a Ram's horn as a call to
repentance.
·
Jews typically
wear new clothes on Rosh Hashanah and eat new fruits that have not yet been
tasted in the season. Customary foods include round hallah bread with
raisins, pomegranates, pumpkins, carrots, and honey cake.
·
For Rosh Hashana,
many Jews 'cast off their sins' to a running water stream/sea containing fish
(the Tashlich custom). This is to symbolically purge one's body of sin
and cast the sins onto the fish.
·
On Rosh Hashanah,
it is believed that the fate of all Jews and Gentiles is defined by God for
that year. Jews greet each other with many Happy New Year wishes.
It is customary to therefore greet people with a wish for a happy New
Year and to 'be inscribed for a good year' - meaning to be allocated by God a
full year of healthy life.
·
New Year prayers
include many passages relating to the sovereignty and dominion of God over the
entire world. One of these prayers is recited daily and is called Aleinu
leshabei'ach (it is our duty to praise God). However, on Rosh Hashanah,
during this prayer, Orthodox Jews bow down to accept the full Sovereignty of
the Lord.
Rosh Hashanah Top
Events and Things to Do
·
Send New Year's
Greeting Cards to your Jewish friends.
·
Celebrate the
Jewish New Year with a Rosh Hashana Concert. Popular concerts are held in
major cities such as New York and London.
·
Attend a local
Rosh Hashanah service in a synagogue near you.
“For I am
convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present,
nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our
Lord.” -Romans 8:38-39
Daily Devotions
·
Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving
your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after SUNSET ON SATURDAY till
Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
[1]The
Collegeville Bible Commentary, 1986.
[2]Goffine’s
Devout Instructions, 1896.
[3]
It was called hydropsy or dropsy.
It is a generalized swelling due to accumulation of excess water. And you can
see a patient that you know quite well today, too. This is not a new thing. But
that is the way heart failure was known: dropsy.
https://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/557959
[4] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[5] St. Michael and the Angels, Tan Books,
1983.
[7]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2018-09-29
Comments
Post a Comment