Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
(21st S. Ord. Time)
QUEENSHIP
OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
1 Maccabees, Chapter 10, Verse 8
They were struck with
FEAR when they heard that the king
had given him authority to gather an army.
The,
they, in this verse were the
Hellenized Jews who were losing their power which came from supporting Greece
(King Demetrius). At once they were afraid for their lives realizing that their
power over Jonathan was gone, they decided to leave Jerusalem. Along comes
Alexander Balas who claims to be the son of Antiochus and the rightful king, he
has the backing of Rome. Jonathan plays these two opponents against each other
to make Jerusalem great again. Jonathan then accepts from Alexander permission
to become high priest which he accepts. There is just one problem; he is not a
Levi, only Levi’s can be priests. Here is high stakes politicking.
ON KEEPING THE LORDS DAY HOLY[1]
CHAPTER III
DIES ECCLESIAE
The Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday
A pilgrim people
37. As the Church journeys through
time, the reference to Christ's Resurrection and the weekly recurrence of this
solemn memorial help to remind us of the pilgrim and eschatological
character of the People of God. Sunday after Sunday the Church moves
towards the final "Lord's Day", that Sunday which knows no end. The
expectation of Christ's coming is inscribed in the very mystery of the Church
and is evidenced in every Eucharistic celebration. But, with its specific
remembrance of the glory of the Risen Christ, the Lord's Day recalls with
greater intensity the future glory of his "return". This makes Sunday
the day on which the Church, showing forth more clearly her identity as
"Bride", anticipates in some sense the eschatological reality of the
heavenly Jerusalem. Gathering her children into the Eucharistic assembly and
teaching them to wait for the "divine Bridegroom", she engages in a
kind of "exercise of desire", receiving a foretaste of the joy of the
new heavens and new earth, when the holy city, the new Jerusalem, will come
down from God, "prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Rev
21:2).
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost[2]
Focus: True and
laudable service as we run to attain the eternal promises and increase in
faith, hope, and love
Introit of the Mass to-day is the prayer of an
afflicted soul entreating God for assistance. “Incline to my aid, O God; O
Lord, make haste to help me; let my enemies be con founded and ashamed who seek
my soul. Let them be turned backwards, and blush for shame, who desire evils to
me.”
Prayer. O
almighty and merciful God, from Whose gift it comes that Thou art worthily and
laudably served by the faithful, grant us, we beseech Thee, to run without
offence to the attainment of Thy promises.
EPISTLE, ii. Cor. iii. 4-9.
Brethren: Such confidence we have through Christ
towards God : not that we are sufficient to think anything of ourselves, as of
ourselves: but our sufficiency is from God: Who also hath made us fit ministers
of the New Testament, not in the letter, but in the spirit: for the letter
killeth: but the spirit quickeneth. Now if the ministration of death, engraven
with letters upon stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could
not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance,
which is made void: how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather in
glory? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory: much more the
ministration of justice aboundeth in glory.
Explanation.
St. Paul here introduces a comparison between the
priest hood of the Old and that of the New Law, in order to show that the
dignity of the priesthood under the New Law (and consequently the respect and
confidence due to it) as far excels the dignity of the priesthood under the Old
as the spirit does the letter the truth the figure. For if the ministry of
Moses, which consisted in the service of the letter, and imparted no grace, was
so glorious, how much more glorious is that priest hood of the New Law, through
which is conveyed the sanctifying grace of God! And how much more veneration
and obedience should accordingly be paid to the priests of the New Law!
GOSPEL Luke x 23-37
At that
time Jesus said to His disciples: Blessed are the eyes that see the things
which you see. For I say to you that many prophets and kings have desired to
see the things that you see and have not seen them; and to hear the things that
you hear and have not heard them. And behold a certain lawyer stood up,
tempting Him, and saying: Master, what must I do to possess eternal life? But
He said to him: What is written in the law? How readest thou?
He
answering, said: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and
with thy whole soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy
neighbor as thyself. And He said to him: Thou hast answered right: this do, and
thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said to Jesus: And who is
my neighbor?
And
Jesus answering, said: A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and
fell among robbers, who also stripped him: and, having wounded him, went away
leaving him half dead. And it chanced that a certain priest went down the same
way: and seeing him, passed by. In like manner also a Levite, when he was near
the place and saw him, passed by. But a certain Samaritan being on his journey
came near him: and seeing him, was moved with compassion. And going up to him,
bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine: and setting him upon his own
beast, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took
out two pence (worth two days wages), and gave to the host, and said: Take care
of him: and whatsoever thou shalt spend over and above, I at my return will
repay thee. Which of these three in thy opinion was neighbor to him that fell
among the robbers? But he said: He that showed mercy to him. And Jesus said to
him: Go and do thou in like manner.
Why does Jesus call His disciples
blessed? Because
they had the happiness which so many kings, patriarchs, and prophets had
desired in vain of seeing the Savior of the world, and of hearing His teaching.
What is it to love God? To acknowledge God as the highest
and most perfect good; to desire that He should be known, honored, loved, by
all men; that His will should be fulfilled by all; and so zealously to observe
His commandments that we would lose all the goods of life, and even life
itself, rather than transgress these commands and be separated from God.
What does it mean to love God with
the whole heart, etc.? “With
thy whole heart”, signifies with all the motions and inclinations of the heart
“with thy whole soul”, with all the thoughts, conceptions of the soul, “with
thy whole mind”, with all the desires, wishes, and determination of the will;
“with all thy strength”, with all the powers and faculties of body and soul
with all the acts and motions of the senses. All these should be directed to
God alone, as the last object and end of man.
How can this be done? By doing whatever we do, whether
it be mental or manual labor, eating, drinking, or recreation, with the
intention of doing the will of God and what is pleasing to Him. By this it is
understood that idle talk, intemperance in meat and drink, and in general all
sinful works, cannot be offered to God, because they are contrary to His will
and therefore deserve punishment.
Is that true love which loves God
because He does us good?
That love is truly good and praiseworthy, but not perfect, for self-interest
creeps in with it.
What, then, is the perfect love of
God? When we love
God only because He is in Himself the highest good and most worthy of love. In
such manner must we endeavor to love God; not out of self-interest, not from
the expectation of reward, nor yet from fear of punishment.
Can everyone thus love God? Yes, for there is no state of life
in which we cannot refer everything to God. Love does not require great deeds,
but that we should avoid evil, and refer everything to God; and all can do
this.
Aspiration. O Jesus, rich in love, Who hast so
earnestly exhorted us to the love of God and of our neighbor, engrave deep in
our hearts, we pray Thee, this commandment of love, that whatever we do or
leave undone, all our thoughts, words, and works, may begin and end in love of
Thee; and that no tribulation, temptation, or danger, nor even death itself,
may ever separate us from Thee. Grant, also, that out of love to Thee we may
love our neighbor, whether friend or enemy, as ourselves, and by this love may
deserve to have Thee as a Savior and merciful Judge.
Who is our neighbor? Every man be he a foreigner or a
fellow-countryman, poor or rich, of our own religion or of any other, a friend
or an enemy.
How are we to love our
neighbor? We must
love our neighbor as ourselves; that is, we must wish for him and do for him
what in similar circumstances we should desire for ourselves, and not wish for
him or do to him what we would not wish done to ourselves (Matt. vii. 12).
In what way are we
particularly to practice the love of our neighbor?
1.
By heartily rejoicing over the gifts and graces which our neighbor has received
from God, and by sympathizing with him in misfortune.
2.
By praying God to grant to our neighbor such gifts as St. Paul, on his knees,
besought for the Ephesians, the fulness of the knowledge of God, and of all
perfection.
3.
By overlooking and patiently bearing our neighbor’s faults, disorders, and
infirmities of every kind, as St. Paul says: “Bear ye one another’s burdens and
so you shall fulfil the law of Christ”.
4.
In general, by both the spiritual and the corporal works of mercy.
With what intention
should we love our neighbor?
We must love our neighbor in God, and for God s sake, because He commands it,
and because such love is pleasing to Him.
Queenship
of the Blessed Virgin Mary[3]
On the 11th of October 1954, Pope Pius XII
established the Feast of the Queenship of Mary to be celebrated throughout the
world, and commanded that on that day each year, the world should renew its
consecration to her. In the future the Feast came to be celebrated on 22nd of
August. On the day of her Assumption, Mary our Mother was solemnly crowned by
Christ and received by the whole court of Heaven as Queen. What Christ has done
in Heaven and the Church has done on our behalf we should now do individually,
that is, we should recognize Mary's Queenship, enthrone her in our homes,
consecrate ourselves to her and, by this means, establish in our lives the
reign of Mary Immaculate Queen of the Universe.
How to Enthrone
Mary Immaculate Queen in Your Home and
Consecrate Your Family to Her a
statue or picture may
be blessed; If convenient, ask a priest to perform the ceremony, otherwise the
head of the family can do it. Prepare
her altar with flowers and candles, giving her an honored place in your home
where all will see her and often pray to her. Recite
together kneeling:
Act
of Contrition; 3 Hail Mary’s; 3 Gloria’s; 3 times the invocation: Mary Immaculate Queen: Triumph and Reign. followed by
the
Act of Consecration
O Mary Immaculate Queen, glorious Queen of the Universe, most powerful Virgin,
merciful Mother of a merciful God and refuge of sinners, we consecrate
ourselves to thy Royal and Immaculate Heart.
It is through thee that Jesus Christ our King has come into the world to save
it. It is also through thee that He is to reign over the world.
In order to obtain this great benefit for ourselves and all mankind, we come to
thy feet to consecrate to thee our persons, our lives, all that we are, all
that we have, all that we love. Keep us, enlighten us, dispose of us, reign
over us.
May all hearts and all homes willingly proclaim thee as their Immaculate Queen.
Prayer
O Mary Immaculate Queen, look down upon this distressed and suffering world.
Thou knowest our misery and our weakness. O Thou who art our Mother, saving us
in the hour of peril, have compassion on us in these days of great and heavy
trial.
Jesus has confided to thee the treasure of His Grace, and through Thee He wills
to grant us pardon and mercy. In these hours of anguish, therefore, thy
children come to Thee as their hope.
We recognize thy Queenship and ardently desire thy triumph. We need a Mother
and a Mother's Heart. Thou art for us the luminous dawn which dissipates our
darkness and points out the way to life. In thy clemency obtain for us the
courage and the confidence of which we have such need.
Most Holy and Adorable Trinity, Thou Who didst crown with glory in Heaven the
Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Savior, grant that all her children on earth
may acknowledge her as their Sovereign Queen, that all hearts, homes, and
nations may recognize her rights as Mother and as Queen. Amen.
MARY IMMACULATE QUEEN
Triumph and Reign!
Imprimi potest:
+ Michael Epus Galviensis, 4 June 1966
Full Sturgeon Moon
According
to the almanac today we are having a Full Sturgeon Moon; plan to spend some
time fishing or visit an aquarium with your children or grandchildren.
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.
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
Go to MASS
·
Rosary
[2]Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
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