Thirteenth Sunday aft. Pentecost (22nd S. Ord. Time)
PASSION
OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST
1 Maccabees, Chapter 16, Verse 6
The
narrative is nearing its end. Simon, the last of the Maccabean brothers to rule
over the Jewish people, is getting too old to lead the troops into battle. He
passes on the military leadership to his sons Judas and John, who like a true
leader leads from the front. He is the first to step into danger.[1]
Even in our present day we
can see similarities in our own heroes and villains. What should we take away
from this book? The contest described in this book is a struggle, not simply
between Jew and Gentile, but between those who would uphold the law and those,
Jews or Gentiles, who would destroy it. The books severest condemnation goes,
not to the Seleucid politicians, but to the lawless apostates from among the
Jewish people, adversaries of Judas and his brothers, who are models of faith
and loyalty.
Fear binds us[2]
There
is so much fear and agony in us. Fear of people, fear of God, and much raw,
undefined, free-floating anxiety. I wonder if fear is not our main obstacle to prayer.
When
we enter into the presence of God and start to sense that huge reservoir of
fear in us, we want to run away into the many distractions that our busy world
offers abundantly.
But
we should not be afraid of our fears. We can confront them, give words to them,
cry out to God, and lead our fears into the presence of the One who says:
“Don’t be afraid, it is I.”
(Henri Nouwen, Spiritual
Direction, 58)
ON KEEPING THE LORDS DAY HOLY[3]
CHAPTER III
DIES ECCLESIAE
The Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday
The day of hope
38. Viewed in this way, Sunday is not
only the day of faith, but is also the day of Christian hope. To share
in "the Lord's Supper" is to anticipate the eschatological feast of
the "marriage of the Lamb" (Rev 19:9). Celebrating this
memorial of Christ, risen and ascended into heaven, the Christian community
waits "in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ".
Renewed and nourished by this intense weekly rhythm, Christian hope becomes the
leaven and the light of human hope. This is why the Prayer of the Faithful
responds not only to the needs of the particular Christian community but also
to those of all humanity; and the Church, coming together for the Eucharistic
celebration, shows to the world that she makes her own "the joys and
hopes, the sorrows and anxieties of people today, especially of the poor and
all those who suffer". With the offering of the Sunday Eucharist, the
Church crowns the witness which her children strive to offer every day of the
week by proclaiming the Gospel and practicing charity in the world of work and
in all the many tasks of life; thus she shows forth more plainly her identity
"as a sacrament, or sign and instrument of intimate union with God and of
the unity of the entire human race".
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost[1]
UNITE your voice with the Church in the Introit of
the Mass, and pray for assistance against her enemies. “Have regard, O Lord, to
Thy covenant, and forsake not, unto the end, the souls of Thy poor: Arise, O
Lord, and judge Thy cause, and forget not the voices of them that seek Thee. O
God, why hast Thou cut us off unto the end? Why is Thy wrath enkindled against
the sheep of Thy pasture”?
Prayer. O
almighty and eternal God, grant to us an increase of faith, hope, and charity;
and that we may deserve to obtain what Thou promisest, make us love what Thou
commandest.
EPISTLE. Gal. iii. 16-22.
Brethren: To Abraham were the promises made, and to
his seed. He saith not: And to his seeds, as of many: but as of one: And to thy
seed, which is Christ. Now this I say, that the testament which was confirmed
by God: the law, which was made after four hundred and thirty years, doth not
annul, to make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance be of the law,
it is no more of promise. But God gave it to Abraham by promise. Why then was
the law? It was set because of transgressions, until the seed should come, to
whom He made the promise, being ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Now a mediator is not of one: but God is one. Was the law then against the
promises of God? God forbid. For if there had been a law given which could give
life, verily justice should have been by the law. But the Scripture hath
concluded all under sin, that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ might be
given to them that believe.
Explanation. St. Paul
shows the Galatians that they could not be justified by the Mosaic law, but
only by active faith. The promise, he says, which God gave to Abraham, that all
nations should be saved through faith in one of his seed, pointed to Christ. Even
the Scriptures tell us that, notwithstanding the law and its sacrifices, the
Jews remained sinners; it could not, therefore, by itself, justify man. It
follows, therefore, that salvation was to be gained only through Jesus, Who
delivered men from the Jewish law. Let us, then, by active faith in Him, make
use of this grace for eternity.
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 the substance of the sacrament. Pray,
then, for the priests; asking 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).
International Day against Nuclear
Tests[7]
The International Day against Nuclear Tests seeks to raise
awareness about the negative effects of nuclear weapons and the need to achieve
a nuclear-weapon-free world. The day also serves to educate people everywhere
about the need to ban nuclear weapon tests in order to ensure world safety.
Since the first nuclear test in 1945, over 2,000 nuclear tests have been
carried out and led to accidents, such as the Chernobyl, Ukraine accident of
1986, ending in tragedy, long-term radiation poisoning and atmospheric damage.
International Day against Nuclear Tests was declared by the United Nations General
Assembly in December 2009. It is observed every year on the 29th of August, a
day that commemorates the 1991 closure of the Soviet Semipalatinsk site, the
world's largest nuclear testing facility, in the former Soviet Republic of
Kazakhstan.
International
Day against Nuclear Tests Facts & Quotes
·
The US, the Soviet Union and France have carried
out the most nuclear tests over the past 6 decades, with 1,032, 715 and 210
respectively.
·
The cost of the Manhattan Project, where the
first nuclear bomb was ever built, is estimated to have cost $20 Billion.
·
The total number of nuclear missiles built from
the year 1951 to the present is 67,500.
·
There is an estimated total of 16,400 nuclear
weapons on Earth today.
·
So long as nuclear weapons continue to exist, so
will the temptation to threaten others with overwhelming military force. –
Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhist philosopher, educator, author and anti-nuclear
activist.
Top
Events and Things to Do
·
Watch a movie or documentary about nuclear
disasters. Some suggestions are: The Day After (1983), Threads
(1984), Trinity and Beyond (1995), Fukushima Nuclear Disaster and
Seconds from Disaster: Meltdown at Chernobyl.
·
Read a book about nuclear issues in the world
today. Some suggestions are: Contesting the Future of Nuclear Power
(2011), In Mortal Hands (2009), and Nuclear or Not? Does Nuclear
Power Have a Place in a Sustainable Energy Future? (2007).
·
Spread awareness about the day by using the
hashtag #InternationalDayAgainstNuclearWeapons, #notonuclear
#againstnucleartests.
Daily Devotion
·
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.
- Join in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: The sick, afflicted, & infirm
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
Go to MASS
·
Rosary
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