Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Luke, Chapter 18, Verse 1-8
1 Then he told them a parable about
the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, 2 “There
was a judge in a certain town who neither FEARED
God nor respected any human being. 3 And
a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for
me against my adversary.’ 4 For
a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is
true that I neither fear God nor
respect any human being, 5
because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver
a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’” 6 The
Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. 7 Will
not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and
night? Will he be slow to answer them? 8 I
tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when
the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Will
the Son of Man find faith on earth when he comes? We must remain faithful to
the gospel of Christ and stand with the Holy Catholic Church. We must continue
to ask Him to come to our assistance against the Philistines of our age. We
must not fail to call out to Him night and day to save us from the wicked and
to pray for their conversion and for the souls of the Martyrs of freedom that
they have made. Our enemy is not men but the devil and those are in his
control. We must never become to weary or afraid to take the gospel to those
places that are most devoid of faith, hope and love.
“Only those that see the invisible can do the impossible.” Tyrese
ON KEEPING THE LORDS DAY HOLY[1]
CHAPTER
V
DIES
DIERUM
Sunday:
The Primordial
Feast, Revealing the Meaning of Time
CONCLUSION
83. Understood and lived in this fashion, Sunday in a way becomes the soul of the other days, and in this sense we can recall the insight of Origen that the perfect Christian "is always in the Lord's Day, and is always celebrating Sunday". (1 Sunday is a true school, an enduring programme of Church pedagogy — an irreplaceable pedagogy, especially with social conditions now marked more and more by a fragmentation and cultural pluralism which constantly test the faithfulness of individual Christians to the practical demands of their faith. In many parts of the world, we see a "diaspora" Christianity, which is put to the test because the scattered disciples of Christ can no longer easily maintain contact with one another, and lack the support of the structures and traditions proper to Christian culture. In a situation of such difficulty, the opportunity to come together on Sundays with fellow believers, exchanging gifts of brother- hood, is an indispensable help.
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost[2]-The necessity of being faithful to the end
Call upon God for help and assistance against all temptations of your enemies, both visible and invisible, and say with the priest, in the Introit of the Mass, “Behold, God is my helper, and the Lord is the protector of my soul; turn back the evils upon my enemies, and cut them off in Thy truth, O Lord, my protector. Save me, O God, by Thy name, and deliver me in Thy strength” (Ps. liii.).
Prayer. Let the ears of Thy mercy, O Lord, be open to the prayers of Thy suppliants, and that Thou mayest grant what Thy petitioners desire, make them ask those things which are pleasing to Thee.
EPISTLE, i. Cor. x. 6-13.
Brethren: We should not covet evil things, as they also coveted. Neither become ye idolaters, as some of them: as it is written: The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed fornication, and there fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ: as some of them tempted, and perished by the serpents. Neither do you murmur as some of them murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them in figure: and they are written for our correction, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore he that thinketh himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall. Let no temptation take hold on you, but such as is human: and God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able, but will make also with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it.
Can we sin by thought and desire alone? Certainly, if we desire evil and unlawful things, or of our own free will dwell upon them with pleasure.
What is it to tempt God? It is presumptuously to expect signs of God
s omnipotence, benignity, providence, and justice. Such a sin it would be,
1,
to desire that matters of faith should be made known and confirmed by new
miracles.
2,
to expose ourselves unnecessarily to danger of body or soul, expecting God to
deliver us;
3, to reject the ordinary and natural means of deliverance in sickness or other peril, trusting in God s immediate assistance.
GOSPEL. Luke xix. 41-47.
At that time, when Jesus drew near Jerusalem, seeing the city, He wept over it, saying: If thou also hadst known, and that in this thy day, the things that are to thy peace, but now they are hidden from thy eyes. For the days shall come upon thee: and thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compass thee round: and straiten thee on every side: and beat thee flat to the ground, and thy children who are in thee, and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone: because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation. And entering into the temple, He began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought, saying to them: It is written: My house is the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves. And He was teaching daily in the temple.
Why did the Savior weep over the city of Jerusalem? Because it had not known and profited by its time of visitation and through impenitence was hastening to destruction.
What was the time of its visitation? The period in which God sent to the Jews one prophet after another, whom they derided and calumniated, stoned and put to death (Matt, xxiii. 34). But especially was it the time of the ministry of Christ, who so often proclaimed His life-giving doctrine; pointed out and demonstrated, by the greatest miracles, that He was the Messias and the Saviour of the world, and yet was despised by this hardened and impenitent city, and even put to death on the cross.
Does God hide from the wicked the truths of salvation? No; but sinners so blind themselves by their sins that the divine inspirations fail to move them to penance.
What do we learn by Jesus casting out of the temple those who sold and bought? We learn how severely He will punish those who in church forget where they are; forget that Jesus Christ is present in the tabernacle; who laugh, talk, amuse themselves, cherish sinful thoughts, and give scandal by their improper dress and unbecoming behavior.
Prayer: O Jesus, who didst weep over the city of Jerusalem because it knew not the time of its visitation, I beseech Thee enlighten my heart, that I may know and profit by the season of grace; and grant that I may always behave with reverence in Thy church, and never turn it into a resort for evil thoughts and desires or for worldly cares.
LESSONS UPON DEATH-BED REPENTANCE
Can the sinner rely upon being converted at the end of his life? No for this would be to sin against the mercy of God, which is much the same as the sin against the Holy Ghost. Says St. Augustine, “usually punishes such sinners by allowing them at the last to forget themselves, who in the days of their health and strength have allowed themselves to forget Him. “God Himself also says: They have turned their back to Me and not their face, and in the time of their affliction they will say, Arise and deliver us. Where are thy gods whom thou hast made thee? Let them arise and deliver thee in the time of thy affliction” (Jer. ii. 27, 28). It is true we have a consoling example of conversion at the moment of death in the penitent thief, but, as St. Augustine further says, while this one example is given so that no sinner may despair, it is the only one, so that no sinner may defer repentance through presumption.
What may we hope of those who are converted at the close of life? Everything that is good, if they be really converted; but this is a most rare thing. (Of the hundreds of thousands whose lives have been wicked,” writes St. Jerome, “hardly one will be converted at the hour of death and obtain forgiveness of his sins.” And St. Vincent Ferrer says it would be a greater miracle for a person who has lived wickedly to die well than for one who is dead to be restored to life. And no wonder; for repentance at the hour of death is generally but an extorted repentance. It is not so much that the sinner forsakes his sins as that his sins forsake him; and the resolution of amendment is one which he would hardly make, were he not driven to it by the agonies of death.
What is there to expect from such repentance? When, therefore, ought we to do penance? While we are in possession of our reason and strength; for, as St. Augustine says, the repentance of the sick is a sickly repentance. In time of sickness, as experience teaches, the pains of disease, the hope of recovery, the fear of death, the torments of conscience, the temptations of the devil, and the care of all depending on him, so continually distract a man that he can hardly collect his thoughts at all, much less bestow them upon a work of a true repentance. If to many it is so difficult to do penance while they are yet in health and hindered by nothing from raising their thoughts to God, how much more difficult will it be when the body has already become weak! We have heard a number of persons who had been sick admit after their recovery that they had no knowledge of what happened to them during their illness, and even had no recollection of having received the holy sacraments. Accordingly, Isaias admonishes us: “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near (Isaias Iv. 6). And Christ says: You shall seek Me and shall not find Me, and you shall die in your sin” (John vii. 34; viii. 21). If, therefore, you have committed mortal sin, delay not to return to God, by perfect contrition and a good confession. Put it not off from one day to another; for repentance thereby becomes more and more difficult; for, as St. Gregory says, one unrepented sin by its own weight impels a man to still further sins, and all the while makes him the weaker, and his adversary, the devil, the stronger; so that at last he cannot be converted without the extraordinary grace of God.
But how can the
presumptuous sinner expect such grace? God will laugh in his destruction,
in like manner as he has despised His instruction, counsel, and reproof (Prov.
i. 26-28). “Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good.” (Gal. vi. 10),
for who knows whether we may not be suddenly prevented, by severe sickness,
from working out our salvation!
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY
SECTION TWO-THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH
CHAPTER
ONE-THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION
Article 3 THE SACRAMENT OF THE
EUCHARIST
IV. The
Liturgical Celebration of the Eucharist
The Mass of all ages
1345 As early as the second century we have the witness of St. Justin Martyr for the basic lines of the order of the Eucharistic celebration. They have stayed the same until our own day for all the great liturgical families. St. Justin wrote to the pagan emperor Antoninus Pius (138-161) around the year 155, explaining what Christians did:
On the day we call the day of the sun, all who dwell in the
city or country gather in the same place.
The memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read, as much
as time permits.
When the reader has finished, he who presides over those gathered admonishes
and challenges them to imitate these beautiful things.
Then we all rise together and offer prayers for ourselves . . .and for all
others, wherever they may be, so that we may be found righteous by our life and
actions, and faithful to the commandments, so as to obtain eternal salvation.
When the prayers are concluded we exchange the kiss.
Then someone brings bread and a cup of water and wine mixed together to him who
presides over the brethren.
He takes them and offers praise and glory to the Father of the universe,
through the name of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit and for a considerable time he gives thanks (in Greek: eucharistian)
that we have been judged worthy of these gifts.
When he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all present give voice to
an acclamation by saying: 'Amen.'
When he who presides has given thanks and the people have responded, those whom
we call deacons give to those present the "eucharisted" bread, wine
and water and take them to those who are absent.
1346 The liturgy of the Eucharist unfolds according to a fundamental structure which has been preserved throughout the centuries down to our own day. It displays two great parts that form a fundamental unity:
- the gathering, the liturgy of the Word, with readings, homily and general intercessions;
- the liturgy of the Eucharist, with the presentation of the bread and wine, the consecratory thanksgiving, and communion.
The liturgy of the Word and liturgy of the Eucharist together form "one
single act of worship"; The Eucharistic table set for us is the table
both of the Word of God and of the Body of the Lord.
1347 Is this not the same movement as the Paschal meal of the
risen Jesus with his disciples? Walking with them he explained the Scriptures
to them; sitting with them at table "he took bread, blessed and broke it,
and gave it to them."
The movement of the celebration
1348 All gather together. Christians come together in one place
for the Eucharistic assembly. At its head is Christ himself, the principal
agent of the Eucharist. He is high priest of the New Covenant; it is he himself
who presides invisibly over every Eucharistic celebration. It is in
representing him that the bishop or priest acting in the person of Christ the
head (in persona Christi capitis) presides over the assembly, speaks after the
readings, receives the offerings, and says the Eucharistic Prayer. All have
their own active parts to play in the celebration, each in his own way:
readers, those who bring up the offerings, those who give communion, and the
whole people whose "Amen" manifests their participation.
1349 The Liturgy of the Word includes "the writings of the
prophets," that is, the Old Testament, and "the memoirs of the
apostles" (their letters and the Gospels). After the homily, which is an
exhortation to accept this Word as what it truly is, the Word of God, and
to put it into practice, come the intercessions for all men, according to the
Apostle's words: "I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings, and all who are in high
positions."
1350 The presentation of the offerings (the Offertory). Then,
sometimes in procession, the bread and wine are brought to the altar; they will
be offered by the priest in the name of Christ in the Eucharistic sacrifice in
which they will become his body and blood. It is the very action of Christ at
the Last Supper - "taking the bread and a cup." "The Church
alone offers this pure oblation to the Creator, when she offers what comes
forth from his creation with thanksgiving." The presentation of the
offerings at the altar takes up the gesture of Melchizedek and commits the
Creator's gifts into the hands of Christ who, in his sacrifice, brings to
perfection all human attempts to offer sacrifices.
1351 From the very beginning Christians have brought, along
with the bread and wine for the Eucharist, gifts to share with those in need.
This custom of the collection, ever appropriate, is inspired by the example of
Christ who became poor to make us rich:
Those who
are well off, and who are also willing, give as each chooses. What is gathered
is given to him who presides to assist orphans and widows, those whom illness
or any other cause has deprived of resources, prisoners, immigrants and, in a
word, all who are in need.
1352 The anaphora: with the Eucharistic Prayer - the prayer of thanksgiving
and consecration - we come to the heart and summit of the celebration:
In the
preface, the Church gives thanks to the Father, through Christ, in the Holy
Spirit, for all his works: creation, redemption, and sanctification. the whole
community thus joins in the unending praise that the Church in heaven, the
angels and all the saints, sing to the thrice-holy God.
1353 In the epiclesis, the Church asks the Father to send his
Holy Spirit (or the power of his blessing) on the bread and wine, so that by
his power they may become the body and blood of Jesus Christ and so that those
who take part in the Eucharist may be one body and one spirit (some liturgical
traditions put the epiclesis after the anamnesis).
In the
institution narrative, the power of the words and the action of Christ, and the
power of the Holy Spirit, make sacramentally present under the species of bread
and wine Christ's body and blood, his sacrifice offered on the cross once for
all.
1354 In the anamnesis that follows, the Church calls to mind
the Passion, resurrection, and glorious return of Christ Jesus; she presents to
the Father the offering of his Son which reconciles us with him.
In the intercessions, the Church indicates that the Eucharist is celebrated in
communion with the whole Church in heaven and on earth, the living and the
dead, and in communion with the pastors of the Church, the Pope, the diocesan
bishop, his presbyterium and his deacons, and all the bishops of the whole
world together with their Churches.
1355 In the communion, preceded by the Lord's prayer and the
breaking of the bread, the faithful receive "the bread of heaven" and
"the cup of salvation," the body and blood of Christ who offered
himself "for the life of the world":
Because this bread and wine have been made Eucharist
("eucharisted," according to an ancient expression), "we call
this food Eucharist, and no one may take part in it unless he believes that
what we teach is true, has received baptism for the forgiveness of sins and new
birth, and lives in keeping with what Christ taught."
Week
ahead
·
Tuesday, August 9-17-Elvis
Week (Memphis, TN)
Shake, rattle and roll! Memphis, TN, marks its annual Elvis Week
celebration each August. There's always something for Elvis fans, including the
big draw each year, the annual Elvis Tribute Artists contest. Who will be
crowned the King?
·
Wednesday, August 10th Feast of St. Lawrence
·
Thursday, August 11th Feast
of St. Claire
·
August 14th Tenth
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: Protection
of Traditional Marriage
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: August
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Let
Freedom Ring Day 31
·
Rosary
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