Sunday, July 10, 2022
In a church inside the Monastery of Santa Ana and San Jose in Cordoba, Spain, there is an ancient cross. It is the image of the Cross of Forgiveness that shows Jesus crucified with his right arm stripped of the Cross and down.
They tell that one day a sinner went to confess to the priest under this cross. As usual, when a sinner was guilty of a SERIOUS crime, this priest acted very strictly.
Not long later, this person fell back and after confessing their sins, the priest threatened: ''This is the last time I'll forgive you.''
Many months passed and that sinner went to kneel down at the priest's feet under the cross and asked for forgiveness again. But on this occasion, the priest was clear and said, ''Don't play with God, please. I can't allow you to keep sinning."
But strangely, when the priest rejected the sinner, a noise from the cross was suddenly heard. The right hand of Jesus unraveled and moved by that man's repentance, the following words were heard: ''I am the one who shed the blood on this person, not you.''
Since then, the right hand of Jesus remains in that position, for it continually invites man to ask and receive forgiveness.
Fifth Sunday
after Pentecost
Matthew,
Chapter 27, Verse 54
The centurion and the men with him
who were keeping watch over Jesus FEARED
greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and they said,
“Truly, this was the Son of God!”
Naturally
we fear darkness and are
terrified when the very ground we stand on moves. Yet in this case the greatest
gift of Christ was the movement of a toughened soldier’s heart.
Truly,
this was the Son of God![1]
Every believer carries a measure of
the guilt for Jesus’ death. If it were not for our willful disobedience to
God’s perfect Law, we would have no need of a Savior. We acknowledge in song
that it was our hands that drove the spikes into His’ and sometimes speak about
driving the nails into Jesus’ hands every time we sin. We speak figuratively,
of course, knowing that although we were not present at the time of His death,
we bear the guilt of providing the need for His death. In the Bible we are
given a brief glimpse of a man who was present while Jesus was nailed to the
tree. This man was a Roman centurion, a commander of over 100 soldiers of the
Roman army. We know little about the man except that he was probably a hardened
soldier and commanded a detachment of what were most likely Syrian-born
soldiers. He had, in all likelihood, presided over the crucifixion of hundreds
or even thousands of men and must have become hardened to the agony these men
endured.
It is likely that this
man was present from the time Jesus was brought before Pilate right until the
Lord’s body was lowered from the cross and given to Joseph of Arimathea. He may
even have been present with the detachment of soldiers that aided in Jesus’
arrest the night before His crucifixion. This man would have accompanied Jesus
from the time the Jewish leaders brought him to the Praetorium. He would have
ordered his men to beat Him, caring little for who He was, knowing Him only to
be another in a long line of people he was commanded to execute. He would have
been nearby when his men dressed Jesus in a robe, pressed a crown of thorns
onto His head and walked Him to Golgotha. He would have given the order to
proceed with the crucifixion. The centurion is mentioned in three of the four
gospel accounts. He is mentioned not for his cruelty, ruthlessness or ability
as a soldier. He is mentioned for something far more important, for a marvelous
transformation that occurred immediately after the death of one of his
prisoners.
Having seen so many
crucifixions, the centurion knew what to expect from prisoners. Most people who
were sentenced to be crucified were criminals, brigands, thieves and murderers.
He had heard countless men scream in agony while being whipped and plead for
their lives before Pilate. From their crosses he had heard them shout curses to
men below and blasphemies to God above. The behavior of the thieves on either
side of Jesus was all too common, as they mocked and ridiculed Jesus as he hung
between them. Perhaps it was during this time that the centurion began to
notice that there was something different about Jesus. Where most men cursed
and swore, Jesus, as His hands were nailed to the wood, cried out for God to
forgive those who were causing His suffering. Or maybe He noticed the tender
mercy in Jesus’ voice when He spoke to the penitent thief beside Him, promising
that the same day he would be with Jesus in paradise. Perhaps he was amazed
that during such suffering Jesus could look down at His mother and ensure that
her future was secure by telling John to take care of her. Certainly, three
hours of darkness that accompanied Jesus’ suffering would have marked this as
an execution unlike any other.
We can only guess when
the centurion began to realize that perhaps, just perhaps, Jesus was exactly
who He claimed to be. What we do know is exactly when He knew with full
certainty. Just before He died, Jesus cried out “It is finished.” Immediately
after that He said “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” At that very
moment Jesus died. At that same moment a violent earthquake shook the land with
such ferocity that rocks were split. Matthew tells us “When the centurion and
those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that
had happened, they feared
greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Luke expands on this saying
“when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly
this was a righteous Man!”
And just like that, the
man who presided over Jesus’ execution, the man who ordered the nails to be
driven into His hands and feet, became the first person to become a believer after
Jesus’ death.
ON KEEPING THE LORDS DAY HOLY[2]
CHAPTER
V
DIES
DIERUM
Sunday:
The Primordial
Feast, Revealing the Meaning of Time
Sunday in the Liturgical Year
79. Sunday emerges therefore as
the natural model for understanding and celebrating these feast-days of the
Liturgical Year, which are of such value for the Christian life that the Church
has chosen to emphasize their importance by making it obligatory for the
faithful to attend Mass and to observe a time of rest, even though these
feast-days may fall on variable days of the week. Their number has been changed from time to
time, taking into account social and economic conditions, as also how firmly
they are established in tradition, and how well they are supported by civil
legislation.
The present canonical and liturgical
provisions allow each Episcopal Conference, because of particular circumstances
in one country or another, to reduce the list of Holy Days of obligation. Any
decision in this regard needs to receive the special approval of the Apostolic
See, and in such cases the celebration of a mystery of the Lord, such as the
Epiphany, the Ascension or the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, must
be transferred to Sunday, in accordance with liturgical norms, so that the
faithful are not denied the chance to meditate upon the mystery. Pastors should
also take care to encourage the faithful to attend Mass on other important
feast-days celebrated during the week.
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost[3]
The importance of forgiving injuries. Again, there is a Petrine motif because of the proximity to the feast. (This Sunday was originally known as the "First Sunday after the Feast of the Apostles.")[4]
WITH the priest in the Introit of
the Mass, let us implore God’s assistance, and say: “Hear, O Lord, my voice,
with which I have cried to Thee; be Thou my helper, forsake not, do not Thou
despise me, O God, my Savior. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall
I fear?” (Ps. xxvi. 7, 9, 1.)
Prayer.
O God, Who hast prepared invisible goods for them that love Thee, infuse into
our hearts the affection of Thy love, that loving Thee in all things and above
all, we may obtain Thy promises which surpass every desire.
EPISTLE, i.
Peter iii. 8-15.
Dearly Beloved: Be ye all of one
mind, having compassion one of another, being lovers of the brotherhood,
merciful, modest, humble: not rendering evil for evil, nor railing for railing,
but contrariwise, blessing: for unto this are you called, that you may inherit
a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his
tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Let him decline from
evil, and do good: let him seek after peace, and pursue it: because the eyes of
the Lord are upon the just, and His ears unto their prayers: but the
countenance of the Lord upon them that do evil things. And who is he that can
hurt you, if you be zealous of good? But if also you suffer anything for
justice sake, blessed are ye. And be not afraid of their fear, and be not
troubled; but sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts. How may and ought we to
sanctify the Lord Jesus in our hearts? By faithfully imitating Him; for thereby
we become His true and faithful disciples, honor Him, sanctify ourselves and
edify others, who by our good example are led to admire Christianity, and
Christ its founder, and to become His followers.
GOSPEL.
Matt. v. 20-24.
At that time Jesus said to His disciples: I tell you, unless
your justice abounds more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not
enter into the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to them of
old: Thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the
judgment. But I say to you: that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be
in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall
be in danger of the council. And whoso ever shall say, thou fool, shall be in
danger of hell fire. If therefore thou offer thy gift at the altar, and there
thou remember that thy brother hath anything against thee: leave there thy
offering before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and
then coming thou shalt offer thy gift.
In what did the justice of the Pharisees consist?
They were very pious in outward appearance, and avoided those vices which
caused temporal disgrace and injury; but, on the other hand, they were full of
malice in their hearts, and this Christ often reproached them with, calling
them hypocrites.
How are we to understand what Christ says about anger and
using abusive words? The meaning of His words is, “You
have heard from your teachers and doctors of the law, that whosoever shall kill
shall be in danger of the judgment of men; but I say to you, who think it no
sin to be angry or envious, that whosoever is angry with his brother without
cause, shall be in danger of the judgment of God. You have heard that whosoever
calls his brother fool, shall be brought before the council and punished; but I
say to you, that God punishes with hell fire every grievous offence against
your neighbor, as also the hatred and enmity of your heart towards Him.”
Why must one first be reconciled to his brother before he
offers his gift at the altar, or undertakes any good work?
Because no offering, or other good work, can be pleasing to God so long as we
are living in enmity, hatred, and strife with our neighbor, and thereby going
directly against His will and example.
Remedies for
Anger.
The first and best means to overcome anger is humility; to
become thus humble, gentle, and patient, one must often consider the example of
Christ, Who endured so many contradictions, persecutions, and insults, without
reviling again when reviled Himself, and without threatening vengeance to any
one for all He suffered. An excellent preventive to anger is, to think over in
the morning what causes will be likely to draw us into anger at any time during
the day, and to guard ourselves against them beforehand, by a firm resolution
to bear everything patiently for the love of God; and then, when anything
vexatious occurs and excites our anger, to say and do nothing so long as the
anger lasts.
How shall we be reconciled with our enemies?
Not only with the lips but from the heart, and with sincerity and promptness. “Is
he absent whom you have wronged,” says St. Augustine, “so that you cannot
easily reach him? humble yourself then before God, and ask His pardon before
you offer your gift, with a firm resolution to be reconciled with your enemy as
soon as possible.”
INSTRUCTION
ON SWEARING.
To swear is to call upon God, upon His truth, His justice,
or other attributes, or upon His creatures, in the name of God, as witnesses of
the truth.
Is swearing lawful, and when?
Yes, when necessity demands it, and when the matter sworn to is true and just:
when a man thus swears he imitates God, honors Him as all-holy, all-wise,
all-just, and contributes to the triumph of justice and innocence. On the other
hand, great sins are committed:
1.
By those who swear in a false and
unjust cause, which may be, besides, of little moment; for they call upon God
as a witness to falsehood and wrong, thus violating His truth and justice.
2.
By those who swear in a good cause,
but without necessity or a sufficient reason; for it is certainly unseemly to
call God as witness on every trivial occasion.
3.
In like manner, they sin grievously
and constantly who have become so habituated to swearing as to break out into
oaths, without so much as knowing or thinking whether the thing is true or
false, whether they will keep their word or not; where by they expose
themselves to great danger, both because they run the risk of swearing falsely,
and also because they frivolously abuse the name of God, of His saints, and of
His works.
Everyone, says St. Chrysostom, who swears often sometimes
swears falsely; just as lie who talks a great deal sometimes utters things
unseemly and improper. For this reason, according to the opinion of St.
Augustine, the Savior forbade Christians to swear at all (Matt. v. 34), that
they might not fall into a habit of swearing, and, by reason of that, into
swearing falsely. Whoever has this habit should take the greatest pains to overcome
it. To accomplish which, it will be useful to him to reflect:
1.
That if we have to render an account
for every idle word we speak, how much more strictly will we be judged for
needless, idle, and false oaths! “Remember thy last end, and thou shalt not sin,”
2.
To remember that persons who swear
so lightly are generally less believed than others.
3.
To repent each time that he swears,
and to punish himself by a penance.
Let
Freedom Ring-Day 4 “Freedom from Predation”
(See Character is Destiny for opposing virtue: SELF CONTROL)
My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, at a word from you the devil and his minions flee in terror. You are the source of all truth. You are the source of all strength. By the power of your Cross and Resurrection, we beseech you, O Lord; To extend your saving arm and to send your holy angels to defend us as we do battle with Satan and his demonic forces. Exorcise, we pray, that which oppresses your Bride, The Church, so that within ourselves, our families, our parishes, our dioceses, and our nation; We may turn fully back to you in all fidelity and trust. Lord, we know if you will it, it will be done.
Give us the perseverance for this mission, we pray. Amen
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception ... pray for us
St. Joseph ... pray for us
St. Michael the Archangel ... pray for us
(the patron of your parish) ... pray for us
(your confirmation saint) ... pray for us
"Freedom from Predation"
by Fr. Bill Peckman
The Devil is the ultimate predator. St. Peter warns his readers, "Stay sober and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) The devil is always looking for any opening in which he can pounce and destroy. He uses everything from occult practices to our concupiscence (our predilection to sin) to gain a beachhead. He will also teach us how to follow him as predators ourselves.
We live in a society that encourages predation. From the mobster who shakes down the local merchant for protection to the sex trafficker and pornographer to the predatory interest charged in so many loans to the endless scams used to bilk people out of money to the common bullying (cyber and otherwise) to those engaged in domestic violence, our society is full of predators looking for their mark, looking for their next meal. Many hide behind the cover of darkness, anonymity, or even behind the law.
Our Church has been rocked over the past half century by predation. The most obvious examples have stemmed from the scandals in which clerics preyed on their own flocks for sexual gratification, heinously even preying on the lambs of their flock. Others have preyed on their flock through financial malfeasance by defrauding their parishes or dioceses of funds. Many are also complicit in withholding from their flocks the means by which to stave off predation. In abandoning their flocks to the wolves, they are every bit as guilty as the wolves they allowed access to their flocks.
Certainly, we can extend these behaviors to the most basic building block of the Church known as the domestic church or the family. In these places we can see domestic violence, molestation, and other nefarious abuses of power that have their roots in the diabolic. From all levels of the Church the demonic mimicking of the predatory behaviors of the Devil must be purged.
All predatory behavior stems from selfishness: its needs or wants are so very important that any and all means to satisfy them must be done. For a predator, its satiation is of far greater value than your happiness, security, or life. While a predator may be infatuated by their prey, they cannot love their prey for they mean to eventually destroy their prey or discard their prey when they have taken all they want. What force could possibly stand up against such an insatiable beast?!
We look to Christ the Good Shepherd for our answer! Christ does not prey on His flock. No, He places Himself between His flock and that which would destroy His flock. He stands in that breech, sacrificing Himself for the salvation of the flock. Jesus tells us, "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep" (John 10:11). Why? Because He loves them. You cannot love someone and prey on them at the same time. Hence, the virtue we cultivate to conquer any and all desires to be a predator is the theological virtue of love. Love, divine love (or agape) is completely selfless. Instead of focusing on one's own desires and satiation, one instead looks to the good of others even when in doing so incurs suffering or sacrifice. Love, because it is of God, chases away the devil and his minions. It helps us to, as St. Paul says of himself, to be 'poured out like an oblation' (II Timothy 4:6)
Prayer of Reparation
My Lord and my God, we have allowed the temptation of the devil to move our hearts to prey on those we deem weaker or disposable. We have stilled our tongues in the face of such evil. We have been too fearful to stand out in our culture, allowing selfish desires to suffocate your love that is to dwell within us. In our fear, we have allowed the ancient foe to advance. We turn to you Lord, in our sorrow and guilt, and beg your forgiveness for our selfishness and silence. We beg for the grace of your goodness to teach us to shepherd rightly those you place in our care and the courage to stand in the breech between them and the demonic. Help us to love as you love. We know, Lord, if you will it, it will be done. Trusting in you, we offer our prayer to you who live and reign forever.
Amen.
Prayer of Exorcism
Lord God of Heaven and Earth, in your power and goodness, you created all things. You set a path for us to walk on and a way to an eternal relationship. By the strength of your arm and Word of your mouth; Cast from your Holy Church every fearful deceit of the Devil; Drive from us manifestations of the demonic that oppress us and beckon us to selfishness and predation. Still the lying tongue of the devil and his forces so that we may act freely and faithfully to Your will. Send your holy angels to cast out all influence that the demonic entities in charge of predation have planted in your church. Free us, our families, our parish, our diocese, and our country from all trickery and deceit perpetrated by the Devil and his hellish legions. Trusting in your goodness Lord, we know if you will it, it will be done in unity with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, One God for ever and ever. Amen.
Litany of the Blessed Sacrament
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
God the Father in heaven, have mercy upon us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Spirit,
Holy Trinity, one God,
Jesus, present with us now in this holy sacrament. We adore
you.
Jesus, who changed water into wine and blessed the wedding
at Cana.
Jesus, who ate with sinners and tax collectors.
Jesus, who blessed the home of Martha and Mary.
Jesus, who sat at table with your friends at the Last
Supper.
Jesus, who offered your body on the Cross for all.
Jesus, who blessed and broke bread for Cleopas and his
companion.
Jesus, throned in the highest at the marriage supper of the
Lamb.
Jesus, have mercy upon us.
Jesus, bread of life.
Jesus, priest of the new covenant.
Jesus, manna from heaven.
Jesus, cup of blessing.
Jesus, food of eternal life.
In the gift of the eucharist,
we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes again.
In the gift of the eucharist.
you satisfy our hunger.
In the gift of the eucharist,
you unite us into one body.
In communion,
may we receive you worthily.
In communion,
may we humbly adore you.
In communion,
may we pledge our lives to serve you.
In communion,
may we be strengthened to deeds of love and compassion.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,
grant us peace.
Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry,
and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’
Lord Jesus, Christ
we thank you that in this wonderful sacrament
you have given us the memorial of your passion:
grant us so to reverence the sacred mysteries
of your body and blood
that we may know within ourselves
and show forth in our lives
the fruits of your redemption;
for you are alive and reign with the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY
SECTION ONE THE SACRAMENTAL ECONOMY
CHAPTER TWO-THE SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATION OF THE PASCHAL
MYSTERY
Article 1 CELEBRATING THE CHURCH'S LITURGY
III. When
is the Liturgy Celebrated?
Liturgical seasons
1163 "Holy Mother Church believes that she should
celebrate the saving work of her divine Spouse in a sacred commemoration on
certain days throughout the course of the year. Once each week, on the day
which she has called the Lord's Day, she keeps the memory of the Lord's
resurrection. She also celebrates it once every year, together with his blessed
Passion, at Easter, that most solemn of all feasts. In the course of the year,
moreover, she unfolds the whole mystery of Christ .... Thus recalling the
mysteries of the redemption, she opens up to the faithful the riches of her
Lord's powers and merits, so that these are in some way made present in every
age; the faithful lay hold of them and are filled with saving grace."
1164 From the time of the Mosaic law, the People of God have
observed fixed feasts, beginning with Passover, to commemorate the astonishing
actions of the Savior God, to give him thanks for them, to perpetuate their
remembrance, and to teach new generations to conform their conduct to them. In the
age of the Church, between the Passover of Christ already accomplished once for
all, and its consummation in the kingdom of God, the liturgy celebrated on
fixed days bears the imprint of the newness of the mystery of Christ.
1165 When the Church celebrates the mystery of Christ, there is
a word that marks her prayer: "Today!" - a word echoing the prayer
her Lord taught her and the call of the Holy Spirit. This
"today" of the living God which man is called to enter is "the hour"
of Jesus' Passover, which reaches across and underlies all history:
Life extends over all beings and fills them with unlimited
light; the Orient of orients pervades the universe, and he who was "before
the daystar" and before the heavenly bodies, immortal and vast, the great
Christ, shines over all beings more brightly than the sun. Therefore a day of
long, eternal light is ushered in for us who believe in him, a day which is
never blotted out: the mystical Passover.
The Lord's day
1166 "By a tradition handed down from the apostles which
took its origin from the very day of Christ's Resurrection, the Church
celebrates the Paschal mystery every seventh day, which day is appropriately
called the Lord's Day or Sunday." The day of Christ's Resurrection is
both the first day of the week, the memorial of the first day of creation, and
the "eighth day," on which Christ after his "rest" on the
great sabbath inaugurates the "day that the Lord has made," the
"day that knows no evening." The Lord's Supper is its center,
for there the whole community of the faithful encounters the risen Lord who
invites them to his banquet:
The Lord's day, the day of Resurrection, the day of
Christians, is our day. It is called the Lord's day because on it the Lord rose
victorious to the Father. If pagans call it the "day of the sun," we
willingly agree, for today the light of the world is raised, today is revealed
the sun of justice with healing in his rays.
1167 Sunday is the pre-eminent day for the liturgical assembly,
when the faithful gather "to listen to the word of God and take part in
the Eucharist, thus calling to mind the Passion, Resurrection, and glory of the
Lord Jesus, and giving thanks to God who 'has begotten them again, by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead' unto a living hope":
When we ponder, O Christ, the marvels accomplished on this
day, the Sunday of your holy resurrection, we say: "Blessed is Sunday, for
on it began creation . . . the world's salvation ... the renewal of the human
race .... On Sunday heaven and earth rejoiced and the whole universe was filled
with light. Blessed is Sunday, for on it were opened the gates of paradise so
that Adam and all the exiles might enter it without fear.
The liturgical year
1168
Beginning with the Easter Triduum as its source of light, the new age of the
Resurrection fills the whole liturgical year with its brilliance. Gradually, on
either side of this source, the year is transfigured by the liturgy. It really
is a "year of the Lord's favor." The economy of salvation is at
work within the framework of time, but since its fulfillment in the Passover of
Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the culmination of history is
anticipated "as a foretaste," and the kingdom of God enters into our
time.
1169 Therefore Easter is not simply one feast among others, but
the "Feast of feasts," the "Solemnity of solemnities," just
as the Eucharist is the "Sacrament of sacraments" (the Great
Sacrament). St. Athanasius calls Easter "the Great Sunday" and the
Eastern Churches call Holy Week "the Great Week." the mystery of the
Resurrection, in which Christ crushed death, permeates with its powerful energy
our old time, until all is subjected to him.
1170 At the Council of Nicaea in 325, all the Churches agreed
that Easter, the Christian Passover, should be celebrated on the Sunday
following the first full moon (14 Nisan) after the vernal equinox. the reform
of the Western calendar, called "Gregorian" after Pope Gregory XIII
(1582), caused a discrepancy of several days with the Eastern calendar. Today,
the Western and Eastern Churches are seeking an agreement in order once again
to celebrate the day of the Lord's Resurrection on a common date.
1171 In the liturgical year the various aspects of the one
Paschal mystery unfold. This is also the case with the cycle of feasts
surrounding the mystery of the incarnation (Annunciation, Christmas, Epiphany).
They commemorate the beginning of our salvation and communicate to us the first
fruits of the Paschal mystery.
The sanctoral in the liturgical year
1172 "In celebrating this annual cycle of the mysteries of
Christ, Holy Church honors the Blessed Mary, Mother of God, with a special
love. She is inseparably linked with the saving work of her Son. In her the
Church admires and exalts the most excellent fruit of redemption and joyfully
contemplates, as in a faultless image, that which she herself desires and hopes
wholly to be."
1173 When the Church keeps the memorials of martyrs and other
saints during the annual cycle, she proclaims the Paschal mystery in those
"who have suffered and have been glorified with Christ. She proposes them
to the faithful as examples who draw all men to the Father through Christ, and
through their merits she begs for God's favors."
The Liturgy of the Hours
1174 The mystery of Christ, his Incarnation and Passover, which
we celebrate in the Eucharist especially at the Sunday assembly, permeates and
transfigures the time of each day, through the celebration of the Liturgy of
the Hours, "the divine office." This celebration, faithful to
the apostolic exhortations to "pray constantly," is "so devised
that the whole course of the day and night is made holy by the praise of
God." In this "public prayer of the Church," The
faithful (clergy, religious, and lay people) exercise the royal priesthood of
the baptized. Celebrated in "the form approved" by the Church, the
Liturgy of the Hours "is truly the voice of the Bride herself addressed to
her Bridegroom. It is the very prayer which Christ himself together with his
Body addresses to the Father.
1175 The Liturgy of the Hours is intended to become the prayer
of the whole People of God. In it Christ himself "continues his priestly
work through his Church." His members participate according to their
own place in the Church and the circumstances of their lives: priests devoted
to the pastoral ministry, because they are called to remain diligent in prayer
and the service of the word; religious, by the charism of their consecrated
lives; all the faithful as much as possible: "Pastors of souls should see
to it that the principal hours, especially Vespers, are celebrated in common in
church on Sundays and on the more solemn feasts. the laity, too, are encouraged
to recite the divine office, either with the priests, or among themselves, or
even individually."
1176 The celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours demands not
only harmonizing the voice with the praying heart, but also a deeper
"understanding of the liturgy and of the Bible, especially of the
Psalms."
1177 The hymns and litanies of the Liturgy of the Hours
integrate the prayer of the psalms into the age of the Church, expressing the
symbolism of the time of day, the liturgical season, or the feast being
celebrated. Moreover, the reading from the Word of God at each Hour (with the
subsequent responses or troparia) and readings from the Fathers and spiritual
masters at certain Hours, reveal more deeply the meaning of the mystery being
celebrated, assist in understanding the psalms, and prepare for silent prayer.
the lectio divina, where the Word of God is so read and meditated that it
becomes prayer, is thus rooted in the liturgical celebration.
1178 The Liturgy of the Hours, which is like an extension of
the Eucharistic celebration, does not exclude but rather in a complementary way
calls forth the various devotions of the People of God, especially adoration
and worship of the Blessed Sacrament.
Week Ahead
· Wednesday, July 13th Full
Buck Moon
· Thursday, July 14th Bastille
Day
· Saturday, July 16th Our Lady
of Mount Carmel
· July
16 California Wine
Festival (Santa Barbara, California)
Head to one of the biggest wine festivals under the sun! Celebrate wine harvest season this July with a visit to California wine country. Held this year in Santa Barbara, the annual California Wine Festival showcases vintage wines, along with gourmet appetizers including artisan breads and cheeses. Cheers!
· Sunday, July 17th Sixth
Sunday after Pentecost
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: Restoring
the Constitution
·
Novena
to Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Day 4
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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