Respect Life Sunday[1]
The infant Christ “came into our
world in a state of great vulnerability. He needed to be defended, protected,
cared for and raised by Joseph”. The humble and often hidden carpenter of
Nazareth accompanied Mary in her pregnancy, assisted at the birth of the
Messiah in a stable, presented Jesus in the Temple, fled with his family far
from their homeland to protect them, and lovingly raised Jesus as his own son
in the years to come. While the angel of the Lord appeared to Mary to announce
that she would bring forth the Savior of the world, it was revealed to Joseph
in a series of dreams how God’s plans would be brought to fulfillment. As Pope
Francis highlights, “God trusted Joseph, as did Mary, who found in him someone
who would not only save her life, but would always provide for her and her
child”. Like every other human family, the Holy Family had to confront real and
concrete challenges. Yet, “in every situation, Joseph declared his own ‘fiat’”.
His “yes” to the Lord meant that regardless of the hardship and personal
sacrifice to himself, he consistently chose to put the needs of Mary and Jesus
before his own. Joseph’s devotion helps reveal to us our own call to show
special care for the lives of those whom God has entrusted to us. During this
Year of St. Joseph, each of us can find in him “an intercessor, a support and a
guide in times of trouble”. Joseph shows us how to say “yes” to life, despite
our own fears, frailties, and weaknesses. For it is Joseph who was “chosen by God
to guide the beginnings of the history of redemption. He was the true ‘miracle’
by which God saves the child and his mother”. May we, too, be miracles in the
lives of those who are most in need, especially at the beginning and end of
life. Dear St. Joseph, you who were “able to turn a problem into a possibility
by trusting always in divine providence”, help us to imitate your faithful
trust and courage
DAY 50 - OUR LADY OF AMERICA, PRAY FOR US
GO WEAPONS HOT
PRAY A ROSARY
- Rosary of the Day: Glorious Mysteries
- Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Sorrowful Mysteries
Eighteenth Sunday aft. Pentecost (27th S. Ord. Time)
SAINT
MOTHER THEODORE GUERIN
Job, Chapter 39, Verse 16
She cruelly disowns her young and her labor is useless; she has no FEAR.
Job is now being
confronted by He that Is. “The wings of the ostrich flap away; her
plumage is lacking in feathers. When she abandons her eggs on the ground and
lets them warm in the sand, she forgets that a foot may crush them, that the
wild beasts may trample them; she cruelly disowns her young and her labor is
useless; she has no fear. For God has withheld wisdom from her and given her no
share in understanding. Yet when she spreads her wings high, she laughs at a
horse and rider.
Discourse of God[1]
·
Enter God. He comes down in a whirlwind and
poses a number of rhetorical questions to Job, all of which are designed
to show Job how small he is in relation to the universe...which, by the way,
God created.
·
God's wisdom isn't like human wisdom. After all,
God is concerned with making waves flow and the architecture of the heavens.
·
This doesn't mean that human affairs don't
concern him; they're just one part of a vast, unknowable whole.
·
Basically, Job's question is answered with a
bunch of equally unanswerable questions. He is completely and totally out of
his league on this one.
·
God talks of natural things in human terms so
that Job can understand them. By doing so, he illustrates how the mortal, and
the immortal are so far apart even though they are physically close together
(38:28).
·
Has the rain a father? Who has begotten the
drops of dew?
Humility
at its source is knowing that all goodness comes from the Spirit, even in the
mist of our crosses.
This prayer by
Saint Francis de Sales is a great consolation for those who do not understand
the crosses which God has entrusted to them.[2]
Prayer
The
everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross that He now
presents to you as a gift from His inmost heart. This cross He now sends you He
has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind,
tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with His own
hands to see that it be not one inch too large and not one ounce too heavy for
you. He has blessed it with His holy Name, anointed it with His consolation,
taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you from
heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the all-merciful love of
God.
ON KEEPING THE LORDS DAY HOLY[3]
CHAPTER III
DIES ECCLESIAE
The Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday
The table of the Body of Christ
43. This "ascending"
movement is inherent in every Eucharistic celebration and makes it a joyous
event, overflowing with gratitude and hope. But it emerges particularly at
Sunday Mass because of its special link with the commemoration of the
Resurrection. By contrast, this "Eucharistic" rejoicing which
"lifts up our hearts" is the fruit of God's "descending"
movement towards us, which remains forever etched in the essential sacrificial
element of the Eucharist, the supreme expression and celebration of the mystery
of the kenosis, the descent by which Christ "humbled himself, and
became obedient unto death, even death on a Cross" (Phil 2:8).
The Mass in fact truly makes
present the sacrifice of the Cross. Under the species of bread and wine,
upon which has been invoked the outpouring of the Spirit who works with absolutely
unique power in the words of consecration, Christ offers himself to the Father
in the same act of sacrifice by which he offered himself on the Cross. "In
this divine sacrifice, which is accomplished in the Mass, the same Christ who
offered himself once and for all in a bloody manner on the altar of the Cross
is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner". To his sacrifice
Christ unites the sacrifice of the Church: "In the Eucharist the sacrifice
of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body. The lives of
the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer and work, are united with those
of Christ and with his total offering, and so acquire a new value". The
truth that the whole community shares in Christ's sacrifice is especially
evident in the Sunday gathering, which makes it possible to bring to the altar
the week that has passed, with all its human burdens.
Eighteenth Sunday after
Pentecost[4]
Sacrifice,
forgiveness, and "confirmation in the end without crime" (1 Cor.
4.8)
IN
the Introit of the Mass the Church prays for the peace which God has promised
through His prophets. “Give peace, O Lord, to them that patiently wait for
Thee, that Thy prophets may be found faithful; hear the prayers of Thy
servants, and of Thy people Israel. I rejoiced at the things that were said to
me; we shall go into the house of the Lord.
Prayer.
We
beseech Thee, O Lord, that the work of Thy mercy may direct our hearts; for
without Thy grace, we cannot be pleasing to Thee.
EPISTLE,
i. Cor. i. 4-8.
Brethren:
I give thanks to my God always for you, for the grace of God that is given you
in Christ Jesus, that in all things you are made rich in Him, in all utterance,
and in all knowledge; as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that
nothing is wanting to you in any grace, waiting for the manifestation of Our
Lord Jesus Christ, Who also will confirm you unto the end without crime, in the
day of the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Brief
Lessons.
St.
Paul shows in this epistle that he possesses the true love of his neighbor, by
rejoicing and thanking God that He had bestowed on the Corinthians manifold
gifts and graces, and thereby confirmed the testimony of Christ in them. By
this we learn that we should rejoice over the gifts and graces of our
neighbors; should thank God for them, and pray Him to fill all who are in the
darkness of error with knowledge, and love, and all virtues.
GOSPEL.
Matt. ix. 1-8.
At that time Jesus,
entering into a boat, passed over the water and came into His own city. And
behold they brought to Him one sick of the palsy lying in a bed. And Jesus,
seeing their faith, said to the man sick of the palsy: Be of good heart, son,
thy sins are forgiven thee. And behold some of the scribes said within
themselves: He blasphemeth. And Jesus seeing their thoughts, said: Why do you
think evil in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven
thee: or to say, Arise and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man hath
power on earth to forgive sins, then said He to the man sick of the palsy:
Arise, take up thy bed and go into thy house. And he arose, and went into his
house. And the multitude seeing it, feared, and glorified God that gave such
power to men.
Explanation.
The charity of those who brought the sick man to
Christ was so full of faith, so pleasing to Him, that, out of regard for it, He
forgave the palsied man his sins, and healed him.
Christ did not heal the man sick with the palsy until
He had forgiven him his sins. By this He teaches us that sins are often the
cause of the sicknesses and evils that pursue us; and that if we sincerely
repent of our sins, God would be likely to remove these evils from us. This is
also intimated by the words of Jesus to him who had been sick eight-and-thirty
years: “Sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee” (John v. 14). This
should be kept in mind by those who so impetuously be seech God to free them
from their afflictions, but who do not think to free themselves from the sins
which may be the cause of them, by a sincere repentance and by leading a
Christian life.
“He blasphemeth.”; Thus, in their perverted minds, the
Jews thought of Christ; supposing that, by forgiving the sick man his sins, He
had committed an encroachment on the prerogative of God, and thereby done Him
great wrong; for it is blasphemy against God to attempt to wrong Him, or to
think, speak, or do anything insulting to Him or to His saints.
“And Jesus seeing their thoughts, said: Why do you
think evil in your hearts?” This is something to be considered by those who
suppose their thoughts to be free from scrutiny, and to whom it does not even
occur to make their evil thoughts matter of confession. God, the most holy and
most just, will no more leave unpunished impure, proud, angry, revengeful,
envious thoughts, than He will an idle word (Matt. xii. 36). Do not, therefore,
give yourself up to evil thoughts; and in order to repel them, remember each
time that God sees and punishes them. Would you not drive them away if men saw
them?
ON INDULGENCES
What is an indulgence? It is the remission granted by the
Church, in the name of God, and on account of the merits of Jesus Christ and of
all the saints, of the temporal punishment which men must suffer, either in
this world or in the world to come, for sins that have been already forgiven.
Whence do we know that after sins
are forgiven there yet remains a temporal punishment? From Holy Scripture, thus, God
imposed upon Adam and Eve great temporal punishments, although He forgave them
their sin (Gen. iii.). Moses and Aaron were punished for a slight want of
confidence in God (Num. xx. 24; Deut. xxxii. 51). David, though forgiven, was
obliged to submit to great temporal punishments (n. Kings xii.). Finally, faith
teaches us that after death we must suffer in purgatory till we have paid the
last farthing (Matt. v. 26).
Can the Church remit all temporal
punishments, even those imposed by God Himself, and why? Certainly, by virtue of the power
to bind and to loose which Christ has given her (Matt, xviii. 18). For if the
Church has received from God the power to remit sins which is the greater, she
certainly has authority to remit the punishment of them which is the less.
Moreover, it is by the bands of punishment that we are hindered from reaching
the kingdom of God.
But if the Church can loose all
bands, why not this? Finally,
Jesus certainly had power to remit the temporal punishment of sins and the
power which He Himself had He gave to His disciples.
What is required in order rightly
to gain an indulgence? In
order to gain an indulgence, it is necessary:
I.
To be in the grace of God. It is proper, therefore, to go to confession every
time that one begins the good works enjoined for the gaining of an indulgence.
In granting partial indulgences sacramental confession is not usually
prescribed, but if one who is in the state of mortal sin wishes to gain the
indulgence, he must at least make an act of true contrition with a firm purpose
of going to confession.
2.
It is necessary to have at least a general intention of gaining the
indulgences.
3.
It is necessary to perform in person and with devotion all the good works
enjoined as to time, manner, end, etc., according to the terms in which the indulgence
is granted. To gain plenary indulgences, confession, communion, a visit to some
church or public oratory, and pious prayers are usually prescribed. If visits
to a church are prescribed, Holy Communion may be received in any church, but
the indulgenced prayers must be said in that church in which the indulgence is
granted, and on the prescribed day. As to prayers, it is recommended that there
be said seven times the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father, and
Creed.
Prayer
for gaining an Indulgence
“We
beseech Thee, O Lord, graciously accept the petitions of Thy holy Church, that
Thou wouldst deliver her from all adversities, root out from her all heresies,
unite all Christian rulers and princes, and exalt Thy holy Church on earth,
that we may all serve Thee in peace and quietness. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Mother Guerin--A journey is an
unshakeable trust in God[5]
“If you lean with all your weight
upon Providence, you will find yourselves well supported”
When we think about saints,
we often have this image of a perfect person without the struggles or flaws of
an ordinary human being – a person not of this world who spent most of their
time praying and worshiping God. We forget that they are people who often had
to cope with the same issues that people face today. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin
had her ups and downs. Through her own words, which have been published in Journals and
Letters of Mother Theodore Guerin,
we are able to see the woman behind the saint and why she continues to lead and
inspire people worldwide.
·
She
… and five companion sisters were homeless
when they arrived in a dense Indiana forest on a dark October evening in 1840.
They lived with a generous local family until a new building was completed.
·
She
… experienced tragedies in her early life. Two brothers died in fires and her
father, a soldier, was murdered by thieves while returning from war. She put
her own dreams on hold to
care for her family when her mother could not cope emotionally with her
father’s death.
·
She
… and her small band of sisters arrived as immigrants in a new country. They didn’t speak the
language and were unfamiliar with the customs. She depended on others to help
her learn and adjust.
·
She
… learned survival
skills and endured poverty.
She and her companion sisters planted and cared for gardens to supplement their
food supply. They helped care for livestock. Their cabin was so cold that their
bread froze. Still they endured.
·
She
… suffered from chronic health problems. Treatment for a disease early in her
life caused severe damage to her digestive system. She could eat only broth and
soft foods for nearly 30 years. This left her weak and frequently ill.
·
She
… stood up to injustice. As a woman and a leader in the
church, she endured bullying, even excommunication. She met all with grace,
determination, strong leadership and compassion. And she didn’t back down. She
also addressed social injustices in her day.
·
She
… was a strong woman leader. Within a year of arriving in
Indiana, she established the Academy, now known as
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
She inspired women to follow her and founded the Sisters
of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, a group of vowed women who still today live out her
legacy to create a more just and hope-filled world.
·
She
… experienced prejudice. Many people weren’t accepting of
Catholics in the 1840s, especially Catholic women who tried to do business in a
“man’s world.”
·
She
… knew how to turn to prayer to cope with the many challenges that confronted
her. She placed complete trust in God for survival and asked
for God’s support in establishing schools throughout Indiana, in leading the
young Congregation and in all she did.
·
She
was a teacher, a founder, a healer, a pioneer. She was a person of deep faith
who led others toward God.
·
She
is a very real woman. She is a role model. She is a saint.
Daily Acceptance of Death[6]
Most Sacred Heart of
Jesus, I accept from your hands, whatever kind of death it may please you to
send me today (tonight), with all its pains, penalties and sorrows, in
reparation for my sins, for the souls in purgatory, for the conversion of
sinners, for all those who will die today (tonight), and for your greater glory.
Amen.
Pray twice
daily. By Father John A. Hardon, SJ
Today is the birthday of my former wife
Diane T. Havermale who succumbed to pancreatic cancer in February 2015; She is
loved and remembered by her seven children: Claire, Christopher, Candace, Dara,
Rachel, Nicole and Vincent. Please pray for her intentions.
“For the Lord God is
a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the Lord
withhold from those who walk uprightly.”-Ps 84:11
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.
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: An
increase of the Faithful.
·
Iceman’s Total
Consecration to Mary-Day 23
·
Total Consecration
to St. Joseph Day 5
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
Go to MASS
[1]https://www.shmoop.com/book-of-job/chapter-38-39-summary.html
[2]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=995
[4]Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896
[5]https://spsmw.org/saint-mother-theodore/about-saint-mother-theodore-guerin/what-kind-of-woman-was-saint-mother-theodore/
[6]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1108
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