Introduction to the Gospel of Matthew
The gospel begins with a
genealogy of Jesus starting with Abraham, the father of Israel. Jesus is
designated as “the son of David, the son of Abraham” In the first of the
episodes of the infancy narrative that follow the genealogy, the mystery of
Jesus’ person is declared. He is conceived of a virgin by the power of the
Spirit of God the gospel shows that he was the one to whom the prophecies of
Israel were pointing, he shall be named Emmanuel, for in him God is with us.
The announcement of the birth of this newborn king of the Jews greatly troubles
not only King Herod but all Jerusalem, yet the Gentile magi are overjoyed to
find him and offer him their homage and their gifts. Thus his ultimate
rejection by the mass of his own people and his acceptance by the Gentile
nations is foreshadowed. He must be taken to Egypt to escape the murderous plan
of Herod. By his sojourn there and his subsequent return after the kings’ death
he relives the Exodus experience of Israel. The words of the Lord spoken
through the prophet Hosea, “Out of Egypt I called my son,” are fulfilled in
him; if Israel was Gods son, Jesus is so in a way far surpassing the dignity of
that nation, as his marvelous birth and the unfolding of his story show. Back
in the land of Israel, he must be taken to Nazareth in Galilee because of the
danger to his life in Judea, where Herod’s son Archelaus is now ruling. The
sufferings of Jesus in the infancy narrative anticipate those of his passion,
and if his life is spared in spite of the dangers, it is because his destiny is
finally to give it on the cross as “a ransom for many. Thus the word of the
angel will be fulfilled, “…he will save his people from their sins.
Matthew begins his account
of the ministry of Jesus, introducing it by the preaching of John the Baptist,
the baptism of Jesus that culminates in God’s proclaiming him his “beloved Son”,
and the temptation in which he proves his true sonship by his victory over the
devil’s attempt to deflect him from the way of obedience to the Father. The
central message of Jesus’ preaching is the coming of the kingdom of heaven and
the need for repentance, a complete change of heart and conduct, on the part of
those who are to receive this great gift of God. Galilee is the setting for
most of his ministry; he leaves there for Judea only in and his ministry in
Jerusalem, the goal of his journey, is limited to a few days. There are five
great discourses of Jesus, each concluding with the formula “When Jesus
finished these words” or one closely similar. These are an important structure
of the gospel. The discourses are, the “Sermon on the Mount, the missionary
discourse (Mt 10:5–42),
the parable discourse (Mt 13:3–52),
the “church order” discourse (Mt 18:3–35),
and the eschatological discourse (Mt 24:4–25:46).
·
In
the “Sermon on the Mount” the theme of righteousness is prominent, and even at
this early stage of the ministry the note of opposition is struck between Jesus
and the Pharisees, who are designated as “the hypocrites. The righteousness of
his disciples must surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees; otherwise, in
spite of their alleged following of Jesus, they will not enter into the kingdom
of heaven. Righteousness means doing the will of the heavenly Father, and his
will is proclaimed in a manner that is startling to all who have identified it
with the Law of Moses. Jesus’ claimed that he has come not to abolish but to
fulfill the law. What is meant by fulfillment of the law is not the demand to
keep it exactly as it stood before the coming of Jesus, but rather his bringing
the law to be a lasting expression of the will of God, and in that fulfillment
there is much that will pass away. Should this appear contradictory to his
saying that “until heaven and earth pass away” not even the smallest part of
the law will pass, that time of fulfillment is not the dissolution of the
universe but the coming of the new age, which will occur with Jesus’ death and
resurrection. While righteousness in the new age will continue to mean conduct
that is in accordance with the law, it will be conduct in accordance with the
law as expounded and interpreted by Jesus, “…all that I have commanded you”). Though
Jesus speaks harshly about the Pharisees in the Sermon, his judgment is not
solely a condemnation of them. The Pharisees are portrayed as a negative
example for his disciples, and his condemnation of those who claim to belong to
him while disobeying his word is no less severe. The Sermon on the Mount is
composed principally of accounts of those merciful deeds of Jesus, but it is
far from being simply a collection of stories about miraculous cures.
·
The
nature of the community that Jesus will establish is shown; it will always be
under the protection of him whose power can deal with all dangers, but it is
only for those who are prepared to follow him at whatever cost, not only
believing Israelites but Gentiles who have come to faith in him. The disciples
begin to have some insight, however imperfect, into the mystery of Jesus’
person. They wonder about him whom “the winds and the sea obey, and they
witness his bold declaration of the forgiveness of the paralytic’s sins. That
episode of the narrative moves on two levels. When the crowd sees the cure that
testifies to the authority of Jesus, the Son of Man, to forgive sins, they
glorify God “who had given such authority to human beings. The forgiveness of
sins is now not the prerogative of Jesus alone but of “human beings,” that is,
of the disciples who constitute the community of Jesus, the church. The end of
the section prepares for the discourse on the church’s mission. Jesus is moved
to pity at the sight of the crowds who are like sheep without a shepherd, and he
sends out the twelve disciples to make the proclamation with which his own
ministry began, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand, and to drive out demons and
cure the sick as he has done. Their mission is limited to Israel as Jesus’ own
was, yet in Mt 15:16 that perspective broadens and the
discourse begins to speak of the mission that the disciples will have after the
resurrection and of the severe persecution that will attend it. Matthew deals with the growing opposition to
Jesus and Hostility toward him, but it becomes more intense. The rejection of
Jesus comes, as before, from Pharisees, who take “counsel against him to put
him to death” and repeat their earlier accusation that he drives out demons
because he is in league with demonic power. But they are not alone in their
rejection. Jesus complains of the lack of faith of “this generation” of
Israelites and reproaches the towns “where most of his mighty deeds had been
done” for not heeding his call to repentance. This dark picture is relieved by
Jesus’ praise of the Father who has enabled “the childlike” to accept him, but
on the whole the story is one of opposition to his word and blindness to the
meaning of his deeds. The whole section ends with his declaring that not even
the most intimate blood relationship with him counts for anything; his only
true relatives are those who do the will of his heavenly Father. The narrative
of rejection leads up to the parables.
·
The
reason given for Jesus’ speaking to the crowds in parables is that they have
hardened themselves against his clear teaching, unlike the disciples to whom
knowledge of “the mysteries of the kingdom has been granted “and he dismisses
the crowds and continues the discourse to his disciples alone, who claim, at
the end, to have understood all that he has said. But, lest the impression be
given that the church of Jesus is made up only of true disciples, the
explanation of the parable of the weeds among the wheat, as well as the parable
of the net thrown into the sea “which collects fish of every kind, shows that
it is composed of both the righteous and the wicked, and that separation
between the two will be made only at the time of the final judgment. Jesus is
shown preparing for the establishment of his church with its teaching authority
that will supplant the blind guidance of the Pharisees, whose teaching,
curiously said to be that of the Sadducees also, is repudiated by Jesus as the
norm for his disciples.
·
The
church of Jesus will be built on Peter, who will be given authority to bind and
loose on earth, an authority whose exercise will be confirmed in heaven. The
metaphor of binding and loosing has a variety of meanings, among them that of
giving authoritative teaching. This promise is made to Peter directly after he
has confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God, a confession
that he has made as the result of revelation given to him by the heavenly
Father; Matthew’s ecclesiology is based on his high Christology. Directly after
that confession Jesus begins to instruct his disciples about how he must go the
way of suffering and death. Peter, who has been praised for his confession,
protests against this and receives from Jesus the sharpest of rebukes for
attempting to deflect Jesus from his God-appointed destiny. The future rock
upon whom the church will be built is still a man of “little faith. Both he and
the other disciples must know not
only that Jesus will have to suffer and die but that they too will have to
follow him on the way of the cross if they are truly to be his disciples. They must care for one another and guard each
other’s faith in Jesus, to seeking out those who have wandered from the fold,
and to repeated forgiving of their fellow disciples who have offended them. But
there is also the obligation to correct the sinful fellow Christian and, should
one refuse to be corrected, separation from the community is demanded. Jesus
and his disciples depart from Galilee for Jerusalem. In the course of their
journey Jesus for the third time predicts the passion that awaits him at
Jerusalem and also his resurrection. At his entrance into the city he is hailed
as the Son of David by the crowds accompanying him. He cleanses the temple, and
in the few days of his Jerusalem ministry he engages in a series of
controversies with the Jewish religious leaders, meanwhile speaking parables
against them, against all those Israelites who have rejected God’s invitation
to the messianic banquet, and against all, Jew and Gentile, who have accepted
but have shown themselves unworthy of it. Once again, the perspective of the
evangelist includes not only the time of Jesus’ ministry but that of the
preaching of the gospel after his resurrection.
·
The
narrative culminates in Jesus’ denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees,
reflecting not only his own opposition to them but that of Matthew’s church,
and in Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem. The last of the great structural
discourses of the gospel, Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple and his
own final coming. The time of the latter is unknown, and the disciples are
exhorted in various parables to live in readiness for it, a readiness that
entails faithful attention to the duties of the interim period. The coming of
Jesus will bring with it the great judgment by which the everlasting destiny of
all will be determined. The story of Jesus’ passion and resurrection, the
climax of the gospel, throws light on all that has preceded. In Matthew
“righteousness” means both the faithful response to the will of God demanded of
all to whom that will is announced and also the saving activity of God for his
people. In Jesus’ absolute faithfulness to the Father’s will that he drink the
cup of suffering, the incomparable model for Christian obedience is given; in
his death “for the forgiveness of sins”, the saving power of God is manifested
as never before. Matthew’s portrayal of Jesus in his passion combines both the
majestic serenity of the obedient Son who goes his destined way in fulfillment
of the scriptures, confident of his ultimate vindication by God, and the depths
of fear and abandonment that he feels in face of death. These two aspects are
expressed by an Old Testament theme that occurs often in the narrative, i.e., the
portrait of the suffering Righteous One who complains to God in his misery, but
is certain of eventual deliverance from his terrible ordeal. The
passion-resurrection of God’s Son means nothing less than the turn of the ages,
a new stage of history, the coming of the Son of Man in his kingdom. That is
the sense of the apocalyptic signs that accompany Jesus’ death and
resurrection. Although the old age continues, as it will until the
manifestation of Jesus’ triumph at his second coming, the final age has now
begun. This is known only to those who have seen the Risen One and to those,
both Jews and Gentiles, who have believed in their announcement of Jesus’
triumph and have themselves become his disciples. To them he is constantly,
though invisibly, present, verifying the name Emmanuel, “God is with us”.
JUNE 29 Wednesday
PETER & PAUL-MOST CHASTE HEART
OF ST. JOSEPH
Matthew, Chapter 1,
verse 19-20:
19 Joseph
her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to
shame, decided to divorce her quietly.
20 Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to
him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be AFRAID to take
Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this
child has been conceived in her.
Even righteous people become afraid at times
but Mark Shea a catholic writer points out that Joseph being a devote Jew may
have had Holy fear as the basis of his being afraid.
Modernity assumes it was because he thought her guilty of adultery, but the typical view in antiquity understood the text to mean he was afraid of her sanctity — as a pious Jew would be afraid to touch the Ark of the Covenant. After all, think of what Mary told him about the angel's words: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the Child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God."[1]
We should follow the example of Joseph and be not afraid to take Mary into our home!
I know one small way I have taken Mary in my home is to silently say a Hail Mary when I wash my hands to eat-praying,
“Mary help me
not to wash your son’s blood from my hands as Pilot did. Help me to have no
innocent blood on my hands. Let me not wash off responsibility for others.”
Feast of Saint Peter and Paul[2]
Today is the grand rejoicing in the two Princes of the
Apostles and founders of the Church in Rome.
PETER,
formerly called Simon, was a son of Jonas, of Bethsaida, in Galilee, and a
brother of Andrew, by whom he was brought to Christ, Who at once changed his
name and called him Peter. When, soon after, Jesus said to both of them on the
Sea of Tiberias, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” they both left
their nets and followed Him. From this time forward Jesus was constantly giving
him particular proofs of His love. From the ship of Peter, He taught the
thronging multitude, and to him He promised that on him, as upon a rock, He
would build His Church, against which the gates of hell should not prevail. Our
Lord took Peter with Him at the raising of Jairus daughter from the dead; at
His own transfiguration on Mount Tabor; at the beginning of His passion in the
Garden of Gethsemane. To him He promised the keys of the kingdom of heaven; for
him He specially prayed that his faith might not fail; and him He commanded to
strengthen his brethren. After His resurrection He appeared particularly to
Peter, and three times commanded him to feed His flock. But Peter had, above
all the other apostles, made himself worthy of this preeminence by his living
faith, his humility, his love, and his zeal for the honor of Jesus; for he it
was who, before the other apostles, made the confession, “Thou art Christ, the
Son of the living God.” He showed his humility when, at the miraculous draught
of fishes, he said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Out of
love he desired to remain always with Christ on Mount Tabor to prevent Him from
suffering; and out of love he declared himself ready with Christ to live or
die; nay, he even declared most confidently that, though all should be
scandalized in Christ, yet he would not be. When Jesus was taken prisoner, Peter
showed himself to be most courageous by cutting off the ear of one of his master’s
enemies, and by following Him to the house of Caiaphas. Three times, indeed,
did he, as no one else did, deny his Lord out of fear; but the look of
forgiving love which Jesus cast upon him forced from him tears of the deepest
contrition, and three times afterwards, accordingly, he made that confession,
“Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee.” After he had received the Holy Ghost,
full of courage, he confessed Christ crucified, and preached Him in Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Ionia, and Bithynia. At Jerusalem he was once already
condemned to death, but was set free by an angel. In the year 54 he went to
Rome, whence, after a nine years residence, he was banished, with many other
Christians. Upon returning thither again he was confined in the Mamertine
prison, and finally, on June 29, in the year A.D. 67, under the Emperor Nero,
he was crucified; his head, by his own desire, hung downwards, because he
thought himself unworthy to die like Christ.
Paul,
before his conversion called Saul, was of the tribe of Benjamin, a native of
Tarsus, in Cilicia, and a pupil of Gamaliel. Full of zeal for the law, he
bitterly opposed the Christians. As he was travelling to Damascus to persecute them,
he was, on the way, converted by Christ. How indefatigably he thenceforward
worked in the vineyard of the Lord, and what dangers and persecutions he
underwent, no pen can describe. It is almost incredible with what zeal and
perseverance he preached Christ, in chains and fetters, under blows and
scourges, in hunger and thirst, and untold times at the peril of his life. And
yet he was so humble that he counted himself the least of the apostles, and
always praised God that He had thought him worthy to suffer for His name. After
he had at last fought a good fight, and finished his course having everywhere
zealously preached the Gospel, and still more zealously practiced it he
received the crown of justice (n. Tim. iv. 6). The Emperor Nero caused him to
be beheaded on the same day that Peter was crucified.
The Introit of the Mass is
in the words spoken by St. Peter after his delivery from the prison at
Jerusalem: Now I know in very deed that the Lord hath sent His angel and hath
delivered me out of the hands of Herod, and from all the expectation of the
people of the Jews (Acts xii. 11). “Lord, Thou hast proved me and known me;
Thou hast known my sitting down and my rising up” (Ps. cxxxviii. 1, 2).
Prayer. O God, Who hast consecrated this
day by the martyrdom of Thy apostles SS. Peter and Paul, grant to Thy Church,
in all things, to follow their doctrines, through whom the true faith was first
proclaimed.
EPISTLE.
Acts xii. 1-11.
In
those days: Herod the king stretched forth his hands, to afflict some of the Church.
And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And seeing that it
pleased the Jews, he proceeded to take up Peter also. Now it was in the days of
the Azymes. And when he had apprehended him, he cast him into prison,
delivering him to four files of soldiers to be kept, intending after the Pasch
to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison. But
prayer was made without ceasing by the Church unto God for him. And when Herod
would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two
soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the
prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him: and a light shined in
the room: and he striking Peter on the side raised him up, saying: Arise quickly.
And the chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said to him: Gird
thyself, and put on thy sandals. And he did so. And he said to him: Cast thy
garment about thee, and follow me. And going out he followed him, and he knew
not that it was true which was done by the angel: but thought he saw a vision.
And passing through the first and the second ward, they came to the iron gate
that leadeth to the city, which of itself opened to them. And going out, they
passed on through one street: and immediately the angel departed from him. And
Peter coming to himself, said: Now I know in very deed that the Lord hath sent
His angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the
expectation of the people of the Jews.
GOSPEL.
Matt. xvi. 13-19.
At that time Jesus came
into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and He asked His disciples, saying: Who
do men say that the Son of man is? But they said: Some John the Baptist, and
other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to
them: But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art
Christ the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art
thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but
My Father Who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon
this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And
whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth it shall be bound also in heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.
Why did Christ ask His
disciples, Who do men say that the Son of man is? To give them an opportunity to
confess their belief in Him as the true Son of God, and upon that open
confession to ground a promise of the highest importance.
Why does Christ call
Himself the Son of man?
In order that, His Godhead being veiled under the form of man, He might thus
test the faith of His disciples, and teach us that He was both true God and
true man.
What did Peter mean to
say by those words,
“Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God?” He thereby confesses that
Christ is the Son of God, begotten from all eternity, and therefore of the same
substance with the Father; that by Him all things were made, and that from Him
comes our life in soul and body.
What reward did Peter
receive for his confession?
Christ pronounced him blessed that God had given him such grace, conveyed to
him the highest authority in His Church, and gave him the pre-eminence above
all the apostles.
What is the meaning of
the expression “to bind and to Loose”? According to Isaias, it signifies to open and to shut
heaven, and here consequently denotes the power, as representative of Jesus
Christ, to receive persons into the Church, and to excommunicate them from it;
to forgive sins, or to retain them; to impose or to remit punishments for them;
to establish laws and prohibitions, to abolish them, to change them, and, in
general, to govern and direct in everything, as shall be necessary for the
preservation of unity and order in the Church, and for the good of the
faithful.
Was
the power to bind and to loose given to Peter only? No, but to the rest of the
apostles also; the power of the keys, however, Jesus gave only to Peter. Peter,
therefore, and his successors, possess this supreme power, while the other
apostles and their successors, the bishops, possess the authority entrusted to
them by Christ, to be exercised by them in unity with the rock, that is, with
Peter and his successors.
Of the Pope
What is the Pope to the Catholic? The representative of Jesus
Christ, and the visible head, appointed by Him, for the government of His
Church.
Did Christ actually appoint such a
supreme head? Yes,
and that in the person of St. Peter. He gave him the significant name Peter the
rock, distinguished him always above the other apostles, and laid upon him the
charge to feed His lambs, that is, the faithful, and His sheep, that is, the
bishops themselves; and this power Peter uniformly exercised.
Why did Christ appoint a visible
head for the Church? Because
the Church is an outward, visible society, united together not only by inward
faith in Christ, but also by outward, visible signs. Such a visible head is as
necessary for the Church as for a body, a family, a society, a state, to
prevent disunion, confusion, and the consequent destruction of the whole; this
supreme head is the center of the whole, the final judge, the authoritative
teacher.
Who is now this supreme head? The Bishop of Rome, or the Pope.
It is undeniable that Peter occupied the bishop’s see at Rome, and that he died
there. Equally indisputable is it that the successor of St. Peter entered upon
possession of his rights, and, together with the episcopal see of Rome,
inherited also the office possessed by him. From the first centuries this has
ever been acknowledged by the faithful, who have accordingly called the Bishop
of Rome Pope that is, the father of the faithful. And how clearly does history
show that Peter and his successors are the rock upon which the Lord has
immovably founded His Church! What storms have not broken upon the Church!
Persecutions from without and
within, heresies and schisms without number, and infidelity in its most hideous
form, have raged against the Church, and what has been the consequence? Nations have often fallen away
from the Church, single bishops have proved betrayers of their flocks, the sees
of the apostles themselves have been subject to the vicissitudes of time. And
amid all these storms Rome alone has, for over eighteen hundred years, stood
firm. She has come out of every contest victorious, has remained the center of
faith and discipline, and has preserved the unbroken succession of bishops from
Peter. Who does not see herein the assistance of Him Who forever fulfills that
promise of His, “Upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it” The Pope is, therefore, the visible supreme head
of the Church, appointed by Christ for all time; the invisible, all-governing
head is Christ Himself.
Things to do[3]
·
Take a pilgrimage to Rome to visit the burial
places of St. Peter and Paul.
·
Go fishing in honor of St. Peter. He was a
fisherman before he became Jesus' disciple, and is the patron saint of
fisherman and net makers.
·
Go camping in honor of St. Paul. Before
his conversion to Christianity, Paul was a tent maker. He is the patron
saint of tent makers as well as writers. In addition to being an accomplished
preacher, Paul wrote epistles that are included in the Bible's New Testament.
·
Attend Mass and learn how both Peter and Paul,
two men with very different visions, formed the early church and how
Christianity rapidly spread.
Insalata Di Tarocci[4]
INGREDIENTS
- 4 blood oranges or other small,
sweet oranges
- 1 small red onion, cut into very
thin slices*
- 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. freshly chopped Italian
parsley; stems discarded
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Details
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Combine a dozen or so men with large sackes draped over their shoulders; ox-drawn carts bearing the image of San Paolo (himself holding a snake and a book in one hand, a sword pointing to the heavens in the other); squads of flagbearers and swordsmen; a cotillion of old men with black berets playing an indescribable array of instruments (many homemade); a piazza packed with local residents dressed in Sunday finery; and long tables filled with all manner of food and beverage, and you have a beginner's idea of what to expect if you find yourself in Aragona in southern Sicily on June 29, the feast of St. Paul. (If you decide to visit the church however, you no longer have to fear the ritual called La benedizione deglie serpe, whereby residents presented snakes to the priest for benediction. The ritual was done away with a few years ago. If you do venture to Aragona for this festival, the blood orange and red onion salad presented here is one of the many foods you're likely to sample. Although any type of orange can be substituted to following is made with tarocci or blood oranges, which are one of Sicily's most famous products. Exceptionally high in vitamin C, strongly fragrant, and with brilliant red peel and pulp, the tarocci is widely used in salads, frozen ice cream desserts, and sorbets.
DIRECTIONS
Italians have become very
fond of cipolle de tropea a type of sweet red onion that comes from
Calabria and is not yet available in the US. To achieve the same sweetness,
soak the sliced red onion in water for thirty minutes before using.
1. Peel the oranges and
remove the pith. Cut horizontally into thin slices. Put in a bowl and set
aside.
2. Separate the onion
slices into individual layers and put in the bowl with the oranges. Add the oil
and half the parsley to the bowl, season with salt and pepper, and toss until
all ingredients are well coated.
3. Arrange the orange and
onion slices in a circular pattern on a round platter. Drizzle with the oil
left in the bowl, sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and serve.
Make Ahead:
The oranges can be tossed with the marinade earlier in the day.
How to Serve: On its own as a midsummer appetizer, followed by a
light pasta, or as a salad course accompanying an especially piquant entree.
Feast of the Most Chaste Heart of
St. Joseph[5]
These apparitions were approved by Bishop Dom Carillo Gritti on January 31, 2010. The messages of Itapiranga contain 10 promises to those who are devoted to the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph. Jesus, Mary and Joseph disclose these promises for the benefit of the whole Church. The Feast of the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph is to be celebrated on the first Wednesday after the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I - St Joseph: I promise to all that
honor this Most Chaste Heart of mine, and who do here on earth good deeds in
favor of the most needy, especially of the sick and dying for whom I am a
consoler and protector, to receive in their last moment of their lives the
grace of a good death. I myself will be to these souls their petitioner to my
Son Jesus and, together with my spouse, Most Holy Mary, we will console them in
their last hours here on earth with our holy presence, and they will rest in
the peace of our Hearts.
II - St. Joseph: I promise to all the
faithful that honor my Most Chaste Heart with faith and love, the grace to live
with holy purity of soul and body and the strength to resist all attacks and
temptations by the Devil. I myself will preciously protect you.
III - St. Joseph: I promise to
intercede before God for those who come to me, honoring this Heart of mine. I
will give them the graces to be able to resolve the most difficult problems and
urgent necessities, that to the eyes of man seem impossible, but that, through
my intercession to God, will be possible.
IV - St. Joseph: I promise all who
will trust in my Most Chaste Heart, devoutly honoring it, the grace to be
consoled by me in their greatest afflictions of the soul and in the danger of
judgment, when by misfortune lose divine grace because of their grave sins. To
these sinners, who have recourse to me, I promise the graces of my Heart for
the purpose of amendment, of repentance and of sincere contrition of their
sins.
V - St. Joseph: To all who honor this
Heart of mine and trust in me and in my intercession, I promise they will not
be abandoned in their difficulties and in the trials of life. I will ask Our
Lord to help them with his Divine Providence in their material and spiritual
problems.
VI – St. Joseph: Mothers and fathers –
consecrate yourselves to my Heart, likewise your families, and you will receive
my help in your afflictions and problems. Just as I brought up the Son of the
Most Hight in his holy laws, I will assist you with the upbringing and
education of your children. I will help all fathers and mothers that consecrate
their children to me, to bring them up with love in the holy laws of God, so
they may find the secure road to salvation.
VII – St. Joseph: So then, my son,
tell all those that honor this Chaste Heart of mine they will receive the grace
of my protection from all evils and dangers. For those who surrender to me will
not be slaughtered by misfortunes, by wars, hunger, by diseases and other
calamities, they will have my Heart as a refuge for their protection. Here, in
my Heart, all will be protected against the divine justice in the days that
will come. All who consecrate themselves to my Heart, honoring it, they will be
looked upon by my Son Jesus with eyes of mercy. Jesus will pour out his
love and will take to the glory of his Kingdom all those I put in my
Heart.
VIII – St. Joseph: All those who
propagate the devotion to my Heart, and practice it with love, have the
certainty of having their names engraved on it just as my Son Jesus' cross and
the "M" of Mary are engraved on it, as formed by wounds. This also
applies for all priests whom I love with predilection. The priests who have a
devotion to my Heart and spread it will have the grace of touching the most
hardened hearts and convert obstinate sinners.
IX – Our Lady: All who honor the Most
Chaste Heart of St. Joseph will benefit with my maternal presence in their
lives in a special way. I will be at the side of each son and daughter of mine,
helping and comforting them with a mothers' Heart, just as I helped and
comforted my Most Chase Spouse Joseph in this world. To those who ask of his
Heart with trust, I promise to intercede before the Eternal Father, my Divine
Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I will obtain for them, from God, the grace to
reach perfect sanctity in the virtues of St. Joseph, this way reaching the
perfect love in which he lived. Men will learn to love my Son Jesus and myself
with the same love as my Most Chaste Spouse Joseph, receiving the most pure
love from our Hearts.
X – Our Lord Jesus Christ: All who
will honor my Virginal Father Joseph's Most Chaste Heart, will receive at the
hour of death the grace to resist the schemes of the enemy of salvation,
receiving victory and the deserved recompense in the Kingdom of my Heavenly
Father. Those who devoutly honor this Chaste Heart in this world have the
certainty of receiving great glory in Heaven. The devoted souls of my Virginal
Father Joseph will benefit from the beatific vision of the Holy Trinity and
will have the profound knowledge of the One Triune God, the thrice Holy. They
will enjoy the presence of my Heavenly Mother and my Virginal Father Joseph in
the heavenly Kingdom. These souls will be loved by the Holy Trinity and by my
Holy Mother Mary and will encircle the Most Chaste Heart of my Virginal Father
Joseph like the most beautiful of lilies.
Waffle Iron Day[6]
is the perfect time to celebrate this delicious breakfast staple!
Waffle Irons were first found in that
area of Northwestern Europe known as the Low Countries, which includes Belgium
and the Netherlands as well as other places. Originally, they were made to be
used over an open flame, and were thus constructed on the end of two long,
typically wooden, handles with a clamshell system at one end, which would be
held over a fire to bake.
The origin of the waffle iron can be
traced back to the middle ages, where they were developed from a device known
as the ‘wafer iron’. These were commonly used in the creation of the
communion wafer, but larger varieties existed, consisting of nothing more than
two flat irons often engraved with elaborate scenes. For the communion
wafer, it was depictions of the crucifixion of Christ. While the larger secular
designs varied widely, often engraved with artistic floral designs,
illumination, or just about any other form of design you could imagine.
· The
Belgians celebrate the feast of St. Michael by eating waffles; perhaps we could
start celebrating Mondays with waffles in honor of the angels; remembering we
too like Michael must be as strong as iron against the enemy and we must not
waffle. Sorry I couldn’t resist.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY
SECTION ONE THE SACRAMENTAL ECONOMY
CHAPTER ONE THE PASCHAL MYSTERY IN THE AGE OF THE
CHURCH
- Article 1 THE LITURGY - WORK OF THE
HOLY TRINITY
IN BRIEF
1110 In the
liturgy of the Church, God the Father is blessed and adored as the source of
all the blessings of creation and salvation with which he has blessed us in his
Son, in order to give us the Spirit of filial adoption.
1111 Christ's
work in the liturgy is sacramental: because his mystery of salvation is made
present there by the power of his Holy Spirit; because his Body, which is the
Church, is like a sacrament (sign and instrument) in which the Holy Spirit
dispenses the mystery of salvation; and because through her liturgical actions
the pilgrim Church already participates, as by a foretaste, in the heavenly
liturgy.
1112 The
mission of the Holy Spirit in the liturgy of the Church is to prepare the
assembly to encounter Christ; to recall and manifest Christ to the faith of the
assembly; to make the saving work of Christ present and active by his
transforming power; and to make the gift of communion bear fruit in the Church.
Every Wednesday is
Dedicated to St. Joseph
The Italian culture has
always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you could make
Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of pizza or
spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday evening Mass.
You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are adventurous, you
could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the evening a family
night perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do make the day special.
· Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St.
Joseph
·
Do the St.
Joseph Universal Man Plan.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: The
Sick, afflicted, and infirmed
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Total Consecration
to St. Joseph Day 2
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Rosary
[2] Goffine’s Devout Instructions,
1896.
[5]https://www.apostolatestjoseph.org/promises-of-devotion-to-the-chaste-heart-of-joseph.php
[6] https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/waffle-iron-day/
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