Quinquagesima Sunday
Valentine’s Day
Exodus, Chapter 14,
Verse 30-31
30 Thus the LORD saved Israel on that
day from the power of Egypt. When Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the
seashore 31 and saw the great power that the
LORD had shown against Egypt, the people FEARED
the LORD. They believed in the LORD and in Moses his
servant.
The
Hebrew’s after the crossing of the red sea and seeing Gods great power feared
Him with human fear; but not Holy fear. There was no love towards God; only
fear. God desires a spiritual union with us; therefore our belief must be mingled
with great love and affection. This is why later Israel would make the golden
calf since their hearts were dead to God after 400 years in Egypt. What was it
about Egypt that enslaved the Israelites even after they were freed by God?
Egypt was rich, so rich that even the Israelites were as self-indulgent as the
Egyptians. It meant a daily life of giving in to your desires and the brief
enjoyments of this passing life.
·
They
only thought of satisfying themselves with no thought of He that Is.
·
They
made faint offerings to false gods to justify their behavior.
·
Their
minds became weak and confused.
·
Their
mistakes and sins robbed them of peace that only comes from doing the will of
He that Is.
We
only find peace and happiness when we are in union with God and doing His Holy
will. We are created by God for eternal happiness with Him. Things cannot bring us happiness.
Hear, O
Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God
with all your Heart, and with all your soul, and with your entire mind, and
with all your strength.
Power of Egypt[1]
The power of Egypt was the
worship of demons back thousands of years ago. The occult still is around today
and just as in the Holy Church, some official rites are required and are tied
to particular feast days. The most important is Halloween, which falls on the
night between October 31 and November 1 of each year: it is considered the
magic New Year. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the extreme danger for
our children and youth who participate in the feast of Halloween on that date.
The second precedes our feast of the presentation of Jesus in the Temple on
February 2. The night before, in fact, begins the magic spring. We need not
fear but look with love to our Lord. Perhaps we could attend Mass this day and
offer God our prayers and love.
Daily Devotions/Prayers
Drops of Christ’s
Blood[2]
St. Elizabeth,
Queen of Hungary, with St. Matilda and St. Bridget, wishing to know something
of the Passion of Jesus Christ, offered fervent and special prayers. Upon which
Our Lord revealed to them:
To all the
faithful who shall recite for 3 years, each day, 2 Our Fathers,
2 Hail Mary’s and 2 Glory Be’s in honor of the drops of Blood I lost,
I will concede the following 5 graces:
1. The plenary indulgence and
remittance of your sins.
2. You will be free from the pains of
Purgatory.
3. If you should die before completing
the said 3 years, for you it will be the same as if you had completed them.
4. It will be upon your death the same
as if you had shed all your blood for the Holy Faith.
5. I will descend from Heaven to take
your soul and that of your relatives, until the fourth generation.
Blessed by His Holiness Pope Leo
XIII in Rome, April 5, 1890
The
thought of saving souls should always be on our mind. St. John Bosco stated it
well. "There is nothing more holy in this world than to work for the good
of souls, for whose salvation Jesus Christ poured out the last drops of His
blood." St. Vincent de Paul tells us that: "The salvation of men and
our own are so great a good that they merit to be obtained at any
price."
Sad to say, the great majority of Catholics put forth little or no effort in
promoting the greater honor and glory of God and the salvation of souls. Let us
keep in mind that if we manage to save one soul, we also ensure the salvation
of our own. The Holy Ghost reveals this to us in the Holy Bible. [St. James 5:
19-20] This little practice gives us a very easy way to save our own soul as
well as the ones dearest to us------our family.
CHAPTER I
DIES DOMINI
"God
blessed the seventh day and made it holy" (Gn 2:3)
15. All human life, and therefore all
human time, must become praise of the Creator and thanksgiving to him. But
man's relationship with God also demands times of explicit prayer, in
which the relationship becomes an intense dialogue, involving every dimension
of the person. "The Lord's Day" is the day of this relationship par
excellence when men and women raise their song to God and become the voice
of all creation.
This is precisely why it is also the
day of rest. Speaking vividly as it does of "renewal" and
"detachment", the interruption of the often-oppressive rhythm of work
expresses the dependence of man and the cosmos upon God. Everything belongs
to God! The Lord's Day returns again and again to declare this principle
within the weekly reckoning of time. The "Sabbath" has therefore been
interpreted evocatively as a determining element in the kind of "sacred
architecture" of time which marks biblical revelation. It recalls that the
universe and history belong to God; and without a constant awareness of
that truth, man cannot serve in the world as co-workr of the Creator.
Quinquagesima[4]
"We
are going up to Jerusalem" -- a setting of the stage for the pilgrimage of
Lent, and the one thing we must bring with us: charity. [Also, traditional time
for going to confession]
In
the Roman Catholic Church, the terms for this Sunday (and the two immediately
before it — Sexagesima and Septuagesima Sundays) were eliminated in the reforms
following the Second Vatican Council, and these Sundays are part of Ordinary
Time. According to the reformed Roman Rite Roman Catholic calendar, this Sunday
is now known by its number within Ordinary Time — fourth through ninth, depending
upon the date of Easter. The earlier form of the Roman Rite, with its
references to Quinquagesima Sunday, and to the Sexagesima and Septuagesima
Sundays, continues to be observed in some communities. In traditional
lectionaries, the Sunday concentrates on Luke
18:31–43,
"Jesus took the twelve aside and said, 'Lo, we go to Jerusalem, and
everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man shall be fulfilled' ...
The disciples, however, understood none of this," which from verse 35 is
followed by Luke's version of Healing
the blind near Jericho.
The passage presages the themes of Lent and Holy Week.
ON[5]
this Sunday the Church, in the Introit, calls upon God for help, with a
sorrowful but confident heart. Be Thou unto me a protector and place of refuge;
save me, for Thou art my strength and refuge, and for Thy name s sake Thou wilt
be my leader, and wilt nourish me. In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped; let me never
be confounded; deliver me in Thy justice, and set me free; (Ps. xxx. 3, 4, 2).
Mercifully hear our prayers, O
Lord, we beseech Thee, and, absolving us from the bonds of sin, preserve us
from all adversity. Amen.
EPISTLE, i. COT. xiii. 1-13.
Brethren:
If I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am
become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal; and if I should have prophecy,
and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all
faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should
deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity is patient, is kind: charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely, is
not puffed up, is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger,
thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth:
beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all
things. Charity never falleth away: whether prophecies shall be made void, or
tongues shall cease, or knowledge shall be destroyed. For we know in part, and
we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, that which is in
part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood
as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away the
things of a child. We see now through a glass in a dark manner: but then face
to face. Now I know in part: but then I shall know even as I am known. And now
there remain, faith, hope, charity: these three, but the greatest of these is
charity.
Explanation. St. Paul here teaches the Romans, and
us in them, the necessity, the qualities, and the advantages of charity: The
necessity because all natural and supernatural gifts all good works, virtues,
and sacrifices even martyrdom itself cannot save us if we have no charity. By
charity only are we and our works pleasing to God. The qualities of charity
which are good-will without envy, suspicion, perversity, or malice; pure
intention without selflove, ambition, immodesty, or injustice; untiring patience
without hastiness; and, finally, humble submission to God, Who is all to him
that possesses charity. The advantages of charity in that it gives to good
works their value, and that it never fails; for while all things else cease
while faith passes into seeing, hope into possession, knowledge in part into
knowledge of the whole charity is ever lasting, and therefore the greatest of
the three. Faith, “says St. Augustine,”; lays the foundation of the house of
God; hope builds up the walls; charity covers and completes it.”
Aspiration.
O God of love pour into my heart the spirit of charity, that, according to the
spirit of St. Paul, I may always endeavor to be in the state of grace, that so
all my works may be pleasing to Thee, and of merit to me. Amen.
GOSPEL. Luke xviii. 31-43.
At that time: Jesus took
unto Him the twelve, and said to them: Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all
things shall be accomplished which were written by the prophets concerning the
Son of man; for He shall be delivered to the gentiles, and shall be mocked, and
scourged, and spit upon: and after they have scourged Him they will put Him to
death, and the third day He shall rise again. And they understood none of these
things, and this word was hid from them, and they understood not the things
that were said. Now it came to pass when He drew nigh to Jericho, that a
certain blind man sat by the wayside, begging. And when he heard the multitude
passing by, he asked what this meant. And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth
was passing by. And he cried out, saying Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.
And they that went before, rebuked him, that he should hold his peace. But he
cried out much more: Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus standing
commanded him to be brought unto Him. And when he was come near, He asked him,
saying: What wilt thou that I do to thee? But he said: Lord, that I may see.
And Jesus said to him: Receive thy sight: thy faith hath made thee whole. And
immediately he saw, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people when
they saw it gave praise to God.
Why
did Our Savior so often predict His sufferings to His apostles?
1. To show that He already
knew of them, thereby indicating His omniscience; and that,
2. He desired to suffer.
3. In order that His
disciples should not be scandalized at His humiliation, nor think evil of Him
as if He had deceived them, but by remembering His words, be rather confirmed
in their belief in Him as the Son of God and Redeemer of the world.
Did not the apostles understand
anything of what He thus predicted in regard to His sufferings?
They
may have known that He was to suffer, for St. Peter undertook to dissuade Him
from it (Matt. xvi. 22), but they could not reconcile these predictions with
their expectation of a future glorious kingdom. Nor would we be able to cast
off our prejudices, and understand the truths of the faith, however plainly
taught, were we not enlightened by the Holy Ghost.
What should we learn from this
history of the blind man?
1.
The inexpressible misfortune of blindness of the heart a state in which we know
not our God, our Redeemer and Sanctifier, and see neither the way of divine
life, nor the hindrances to our salvation, but grope about in the darkness of
ignorance and sin.
2.
Where to find One Who will save us from this awful condition, in Jesus Christ
healing and enlightening us through and in His Church.
3.
The holy zeal and perseverance with which we should seek and call upon Him for
deliverance, disregarding alike the bad examples, persecutions, and mockery of
the world.
4.
How fervently we should thank God, and how faithfully we should follow Him,
after He has opened the eyes of our soul and freed us, by His grace, from the
spiritual blindness of sin.
Eastern Orthodox Church
In
the Eastern Orthodox Church, its equivalent, the Sunday before Great Lent, is called "Forgiveness
Sunday", "Maslenitsa Sunday", or "Cheesefare Sunday".
The latter name comes because this Sunday concludes Maslenitsa, the week in which butter and
cheese may be eaten, which are prohibited during Great Lent. The former name
derives from the fact that this Sunday is followed by a special Vespers called
"Forgiveness Vespers" which opens Great Lent. On this day the Eastern
Orthodox Church Christians at the liturgy listen to the Gospel speaking of
forgiveness of sins, fasting, and the gathering of treasures in heaven. On this
day, all Orthodox Christians ask each other for forgiveness to begin the Great
Lent with a good heart, to focus on the spiritual life, to purify the heart
from sin in confession, and to meet Easter - the day of the Resurrection of
Jesus with a pure heart. This is the last day before Lent when non-lenten food
is eaten.
NOVENA TO THE HOLY FACE
DAILY PREPARATORY PRAYER
O Most Holy and
Blessed Trinity, through the intercession of Holy Mary, whose soul was pierced
through by a sword of sorrow at the sight of the passion of her Divine Son, we
ask your help in making a perfect Novena of reparation with Jesus, united with
all His sorrows, love and total abandonment.
We now implore all the
Angels and Saints to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena to the Most
Holy Face of Jesus and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and
Holy Spirit. Amen.
Eighth Day
Psalm 51, 16-17.
O rescue me, God my helper, and my tongue shall ring out your goodness. O Lord,
open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.
Most merciful Face of
Jesus, who in this vale of tears was so moved by our misfortunes to call
yourself the healer of the sick, and the good Shepherd of the souls gone
astray, allow not Satan to draw us away from you, but keep us always under your
loving protection, together with all souls who endeavor to console you. Mary,
our Mother, intercede for us, Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Through the merits of your
precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, Pardon and
Mercy.
Prayer
to Saint Peter
O glorious Saint Peter,
who in return for thy lively and generous faith, thy profound and sincere
humility and thy burning love, was honored by Jesus Christ with singular
privileges, and in particular, with the leadership of the other apostles and
the primacy of the whole church, of which thou was made the foundation stone,
do thou obtain for us the grace of a lively faith, that shall not fear to
profess itself openly in its entirety and in all of its manifestations, even to
the shedding of blood, if occasion should demand it, and to the sacrifice of life
itself in preference to surrender. Obtain for us likewise a sincere loyalty to
our Holy Mother the Church. Grant that we may ever remain most closely and
sincerely united to the Holy Father, who is the heir of thy faith and of thy
authority, the one true visible head of the Catholic Church. Grant, moreover,
that we may follow, in all humility and meekness, the Church’s teaching and
counsels and may be obedient to all her precepts, in order to be able here on
earth to enjoy a peace that is sure and undisturbed, and to attain one day in
heaven to everlasting happiness. Amen.
Pray
one (1) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary’s, (1) Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. (Three times)
There are many and varied
ways in which sin and evil are presented to us in an attractive way.
The New Age Movement
·
Although virtually unknown a few years ago,
this movement is gaining in popularity on an international level. On the
surface it appears to be a "peace" movement, but in my estimation, it
definitely belongs to the occult. This is because it presents some basic
characteristics that are identified with the occult, even though Satan is not
mentioned.
·
For example, the "god" of the New
Age is not the God of Christianity and Judaism. The New Age god is more like an
impersonal energy or force of which the whole universe consists. This is a form
of pantheism. For us God is Creator and Lord of all. We are his creatures. In
the New Age, Jesus becomes one of the many spiritual masters who discovered his
higher self. It is believed that in the New Age we can also be enlightened, and
this through our own efforts not through revelation and the grace of God.
·
The New Age Movement is sometimes called a
peace movement. Somehow, it is said, that when we become a part of this
"Harmonic Convergence" we can bring to bear a mighty power that is
beyond ourselves for achieving world peace. But when we talk about any power
that is not from God, and beyond ourselves we are really talking about the
occult.
·
Do not be deceived by the talk about
ecology, the beauty of nature in the world, and the fundamental goodness of the
apparent goals of this movement. Those who join the New Age Movement are
entering a movement dealing with occult spiritual power. It is not a spiritual
power that comes from God, but from the Kingdom of False Light and Darkness.
Valentine's Day[7]
Valentine's
Day is a celebration of love and friendship.
The holiday derived its name from two Roman martyrs for love, both named
Valentine. The first Valentine was beheaded on February 14th, but not
before leaving a note signed from your Valentine for his lady. The second
Valentine was supposedly a bishop who secretly married young couples, an act
that was forbidden by the Roman Emperor who wanted young men to first serve as
soldiers before marrying. Valentine ignored the law and was beheaded on
February 14. An ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia, a celebration for
which young men randomly chose the name of a young girl
to escort to the festivities, has also been linked to the origins of
Valentine's Day.
Since
then, the custom of selecting a sweetheart on February 14th has spread through
Europe and its colonies and transformed itself into the celebration of love and
friendship that we know today.
Valentine's
Day Facts & Quotes
·
Symbols
for Valentine's day include hearts, chocolate, flowers, and Cupid - the Roman
God of Love.
·
52%
of US consumers will send out at least 1 Valentine's Day card, 47% will send
candy, and 34% will send flowers.
·
Love
looks not with the eyes but with the mind. And therefore, is winged Cupid
painted blind. - William Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream)
Valentine's
Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Send
someone you care for a Valentine's Day card. Take the time to write a small
note or love poem inside. Sign it, from your Valentine.
·
Go
to a special romantic dinner with your sweetheart. Tip: Book early as
this is one of the busiest days of the year for restaurants.
·
Watch
the movie Valentine's Day (2010) or the Notebook (2004). Both are
romance movies with star casts.
·
Send
a Secret Valentine to someone several days before, and then reveal your
identity on February 14th.
·
Remember
other important people in your life, such as your parents, grandparents and old
friends. Send them a small card or gift to remind them of how much you care.
Catholic
Things to Do[8]
·
Read the Golden
Legend account of St. Valentine's life.
·
Pray to St. Valentine for an increase of true,
sacrificial love within marriages.
·
Make Valentines for those closest to you — your
family and friends. If you have children, teach them to make valentines from
red construction paper and doilies.
·
Begin to read and discuss some of St. John Paul
II's works on marriage; for example, Love and Responsibility or his The Theology of the Body Human Love in the Divine Plan (Parish
Resources).
The
Two Ends or Purposes of Marriage
Marriage
has two fundamental ends or purposes towards which it is oriented, namely, the
good of the spouses as well as the procreation of children. Thus, the Church teaches
that marriage is both unitive and procreative, and that it is inseparably both.
Unitive
Pope
John Paul II ‘s theology of the body speaks of the human body as having a
spousal significance. This means that the human body by its very nature
signifies that we humans are directed to relationship—that we are to seek union
with others. For it is only in relationship that we achieve a true wholeness as
a communion of persons. Before Eve was created, Adam was alone. His joy upon
perceiving Eve indicated that with Eve he achieved the―original unity that
human nature seeks. God clearly made human beings to love and to be loved, to
be in relationships wherein the act of giving oneself and receiving the other
becomes complete.
In
this context, the word ―original means not only that these experiences go back
to the dawn of human history but, more importantly,
that they are key to understanding our most basic human experiences. The
experience of Adam and Eve speaks powerfully to our search not only to
understand ourselves but also to love and be loved, to be in a relationship of
love with a person of the opposite sex. God established marriage so that man
and woman could participate in his love and thus selflessly give themselves to
each other in love. A man and a woman who by their act of consent are no longer
two but one flesh (see Mt 19:6ff.) render mutual help and service to each other
through an intimate union of their persons and of their actions.―My lover
belongs to me and I to him (Song 2:16; see Song6:3).With all the dignity and
simplicity of poetry, the Bride in the Song of Songs sings of the unitive
meaning of married love.―You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride. . . .
How beautiful is your love! (Song 4:9-10).
So
responds the Bridegroom of the Song, overcome with the wonder of conjugal love
that is extended to him by the Bride. This is the love that is strong as death
(see Song 8:6b). Just as beautifully, Tobiah prays with his wife, Sarah, on
their wedding night, awestruck at the mercy of the God of their fathers, that
is, the God of the covenant, in bringing them together in a union of true
conjugal love: Blessed are you, O God of our fathers; praised be your name
forever and ever. Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever. You
made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and support; and from
these two the human race descended. You said, ―It is not good for the man to be
alone; let us make him a partner like himself. Now, Lord, you know that I take
this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a noble purpose. Call down your
mercy on me and on her and allow us to live together to a happy old age. (Tb
8:5-7) The love that is as strong as death is the love that prays and praises,
caught up into divine love.
Procreative
It
is the nature of love to overflow, to be life-giving. Thus, it is no surprise
that marriage is ordained not only to growing in love but to transmitting life:
―by its very nature the institution of marriage and married love [is]ordered to
the procreation and education of the offspring and it is in them that it finds
its crowning glory. Married love itself is ordered to the procreation of
children, for, after all, the first command given to Adam and Eve is―be fertile
and multiply (Gn 1:28). Tobiah ‘s prayer, even as it asks for a happy and
lifelong union, remembers that the human race descended from Adam and Eve. His
prayer for happiness certainly includes, even if implicitly, a prayer for
offspring. God indeed sends the couple seven sons (Tb 14:3) and long life (Tb
14:14).
Again,
in the words of the Second Vatican Council: Children are the supreme gift of
marriage. . .. Without intending to underestimate the other ends of marriage,
it must be said that true married love and the family life which flows from it
have this end in view: that the spouses would cooperate generously with the
love of the Creator and Savior, who through them will in due time increase and
enrich his family. Children are a gift in a myriad of ways. They bring joy even
in the midst of heartaches; they give added direction to the lives of their
parents. Children, who are the fruit of love and meaningful commitment, are a
cause of love and meaning.
It
is true that some marriages will not result in procreation due to infertility,
even though the couple is capable of the natural act by which procreation takes
place. Indeed, this situation often comes as a surprise and can be a source of
deep disappointment, anxiety, and even great suffering for a husband and wife.
When such tragedy affects a marriage, a couple may be tempted to think that
their union is not complete or truly blessed. This is not true. The marital
union of a man and a woman is a distinctive communion of persons. An infertile
couple continues to manifest this attribute. Even when their child-bearing
years have passed, a couple should continue to be life-affirming. They can do
this by staying involved in the lives of young people, and especially their
grandchildren, as spiritual mentors, teachers, and wisdom figures. They can also
continue to be nurturing through the exercise of care for those who are needy,
disabled, or pushed to the margins of society, and by their support for or
participation in works of charity and justice.
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 6 pm Saturday till Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
·
Devotion
of the Seven Sundays: St Joseph-2nd Sunday
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
Rosary
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