Sunday, October 22, 2023
Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost
ST
JOHN PAUL II
Job, Chapter 1, Verse 1
In the land of Uz
there was a blameless and upright man named Job, who FEARED God and avoided evil.
Can
a man be blameless and upright and yet not be filled with self-pride? Job
teaches us that we need to be all in with God.
Four Lessons of Job[1]
- Believe
with all your heart in the absolute sovereignty of God. Pray that God
would give you that conviction.
- Believe
with all your heart that everything he does is right and good. Pray that
God will give you that assurance.
- Repent
of all the times you have questioned God or found fault with him in the
way he has treated you. Pray that God would humble you to see these
murmurings as sinful.
- Be satisfied with the holy will of God and do not murmur.
ON KEEPING THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[2]
CHAPTER I
DIES DOMINI
The Celebration of the Creator's
Work
"Through him all things
were made" (Jn 1:3)
8. For the Christian, Sunday is above
all an Easter celebration, wholly illumined by the glory of the Risen Christ.
It is the festival of the "new creation". Yet, when understood in
depth, this aspect is inseparable from what the first pages of Scripture tell
us of the plan of God in the creation of the world. It is true that the Word
was made flesh in "the fullness of time" (Gal 4:4); but it is
also true that, in virtue of the mystery of his identity as the eternal Son of
the Father, he is the origin and end of the universe. As John writes in the
Prologue of his Gospel: "Through him all things were made, and without him
was made nothing that was made" (1:3). Paul too stresses this in writing
to the Colossians: "In him all things were created, in heaven and on
earth, visible and invisible .... All things were created through him and for
him" (1:16). This active presence of the Son in the creative work of God
is revealed fully in the Paschal Mystery, in which Christ, rising as "the
first fruits of those who had fallen asleep" (1 Cor 15:20),
established the new creation and began the process which he himself will bring
to completion when he returns in glory to "deliver the kingdom to God the
Father ..., so that God may be everything to everyone" (1 Cor
15:24,28).
Already at the dawn of creation,
therefore, the plan of God implied Christ's "cosmic mission". This Christocentric
perspective, embracing the whole arc of time, filled God's well-pleased
gaze when, ceasing from all his work, he "blessed the seventh day and made
it holy" (Gn 2:3). According to the Priestly writer of the first
biblical creation story, then was born the "Sabbath", so
characteristic of the first Covenant, and which in some ways foretells the
sacred day of the new and final Covenant. The theme of "God's rest"
(cf. Gn 2:2) and the rest which he offered to the people of the Exodus
when they entered the Promised Land (cf. Ex 33:14; Dt 3:20; 12:9;
Jos 21:44; Ps 95:11) is re-read in the New Testament in the light
of the definitive "Sabbath rest" (Heb 4:9) into which Christ
himself has entered by his Resurrection. The People of God are called to enter
into this same rest by persevering in Christ's example of filial obedience (cf.
Heb 4:3-16). In order to grasp fully the meaning of Sunday, therefore,
we must re-read the great story of creation and deepen our understanding of the
theology of the "Sabbath".
Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost[3]
Spiritually
arming oneself (for both now and Armageddon) and forgiving each other so that
we may be forgiven on Judgment Day.
AT the Introit of the Mass is said
the prayer of Mardochai, which may be used in all necessities and adversities. “All
things are in Thy will, O Lord, and there is none that can resist Thy will; for
Thou hast made all things, heaven and earth, and all things that are under the
cope of heaven. Thou art Lord of all. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who
walk in the law of the Lord”.
Prayer.
Preserve, we beseech Thee, O Lord,
Thy family by continued mercy, that by Thy protection they may be free from all
adversity, and in good works be devoted to Thy name.
EPISTLE. Ephesians vi. 10-17.
Brethren: Be strengthened in the
Lord, and in the might of His power. Put you on the armor of God, that you may
be able to stand against the deceits of the devil. For our wrestling is not
against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the
rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the
high places. Therefore, take unto you the armor of God, that you may be able to
resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect. Stand, therefore,
having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of
justice, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace: in all
things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all
the fiery darts of the most wicked one. And take unto you the helmet of
salvation; and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God).
Explanation.
In this epistle the holy apostle
encourages us to combat against evil and points out both our enemy and the
weapons we are to use. He exhorts us to protect ourselves by,
1, the girdle that is, truth, by
virtue of which we despise the goods of earth.
2, the breastplate that is,
justice, which renders to God, our neighbor, and ourselves what is due to each.
3, the shoes that is, readiness in
regulating our lives by the Gospel.
4, the shield that is, faith, by
the doctrines and promises of which we render harmless the fiery darts of the
devil.
5, the helmet that is, the hope of
eternal salvation, which enables us to endure all temporal misfortune.
6, the sword that is, the word of
God, which, when we use it after the example of Jesus, the most powerful enemy
cannot resist (Matt. iv.).
Thus armed, we shall be conquerors
in the combat with Satan, and gain the crown of victory.
GOSPEL. Matt, xviii. 23-35
At that time. Jesus spoke to His disciples this
parable: The kingdom of God is likened to a king who would take an account of
his servants. And when he had begun to take the account, one was brought to him
that owed him ten thousand talents. And as he had not wherewith to pay it, his
lord commanded that he should be sold, and his wife and children, and all that
he had, and payment to be made. But that servant, falling down, besought him,
saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And the lord of that
servant, being moved with pity, let him go, and forgave him the debt. But when
that servant was gone out, he found one of his fellow-servants that owed him a
hundred pence; and laying hold of him, he throttled him, saying: Pay what thou
owest. And his fellow-servant, falling down, besought him, saying: Have
patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast
him into prison, till he paid the debt. Now his fellow-servants, seeing what
was done, were very much grieved, and they came and told their lord all that
was done. Then his lord called him and said to him: Thou wicked servant! I
forgave thee all the debt, because thou besoughtest me: shouldst not thou then
have had compassion also on thy fellow servant, even as I had compassion on
thee? And his lord, being angry, delivered him to the torturers until he paid
all the debt. So also, shall My heavenly Father do to you, if you forgive not
everyone his brother from your hearts.
What
would Jesus teach by this parable?
The king is God; the servant is mankind; the ten
thousand talents, equal to ten million dollars, signify the enormous and excessive
debts which men contract by their sins against God: a sum so exceedingly great
as to show clearly that the debt of man to God is without limit, and truly
overwhelming. The hundred pence, a small sum, equal to perhaps six or seven
dollars, denotes the offences which others have given us, and which, in
comparison with our offences against God, are insignificant. By this parable,
therefore, Jesus intended to say: As God forgives your immense debts if you
sorrowfully pray for forgiveness, so ought you to forgive your fellowmen their
comparatively light debts when they ask forgiveness of you. Unless you grant
it, you shall receive no pardon from My Father.
Who is like that unmerciful
servant?
All
unmerciful and hard-hearted people; particularly.
1.
rulers
who oppress the people by excessive taxes.
2.
those
who oppress widows and orphans and keep from servants the wages due them.
3.
those
who have no patience with their debtors but deprive them of house and goods
rather than be indulgent to them. God will deal with such men in the otherworld
as they have dealt with their neighbors in this.
4. Finally, all persons who will not forgive injuries done them, but preserve hatred in their hearts, who bring such as have injured them before the courts, and even seek to injure them out of revenge.
How can they hope to obtain mercy? What is meant by forgiving from the heart?
It is to banish from the heart all hatred and desire
of revenge; to bear in our hearts a sincere love towards our enemy, and to
manifest it by works of charity. If we
think of the multitude of sins which God has forgiven us, how can we refuse to
forgive trifling wrongs against ourselves? At any rate, let us not
forget that God forgives us only when we also forgive from the heart.
Ejaculation. Merciful God grant me grace to be
truly merciful towards my fellowmen, as Thou art towards me.
Prayer.
O God, Who, through the patience of Thine only
begotten Son, hast humbled the pride of our old enemy, mercifully grant that,
by considering what He has suffered for us, we may cheer fully and patiently
bear our adversities, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen,
Optional Memorial of St. John Paul II (1920-2005).[4]
Karol Jozef Wojtyla was born in 1920 in Wadowice, Poland. After his ordination
to the priesthood and theological studies in Rome, he returned to his homeland
and resumed various pastoral and academic tasks. He became first auxiliary
bishop and, in 1964, Archbishop of Krakow and took part in the Second Vatican
Council. On October 16, 1978, he was elected pope and took the name John Paul
II. His exceptional apostolic zeal, particularly for families, young people and
the sick, led him to numerous pastoral visits throughout the world. Among the
many fruits which he has left as a heritage to the Church are above all his
rich Magisterium and the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
as well as the Code of Canon Law for the Latin Church and for the Eastern Churches.
In Rome on April 2, 2005, the eve of the Second Sunday of Easter (or of Divine
Mercy), he departed peacefully in the Lord.
Catechism of the Catholic
Church
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN
MYSTERY
SECTION TWO-THE SEVEN
SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH
CHAPTER TWO-THE SACRAMENTS OF HEALING
Article 4-THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND RECONCILIATION
VII. The Acts of the
Penitent
1450 "Penance requires . . .
the sinner to endure all things willingly, be contrite of heart, confess with
the lips, and practice complete humility and fruitful satisfaction."
Contrition
1451 Among the penitent's acts
contrition occupies first place. Contrition is "sorrow of the soul and
detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin
again."
1452 When it arises from a love by
which God is loved above all else, contrition is called "perfect"
(contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains
forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse
to sacramental confession as soon as possible.
1453 The contrition called
"imperfect" (or "attrition") is also a gift of God, a
prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin's ugliness
or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner
(contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior
process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by
sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain
the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the
sacrament of Penance.
1454 The reception of this
sacrament ought to be prepared for by an examination of conscience made in the
light of the Word of God. the passages best suited to this can be found in the
moral catechesis of the Gospels and the apostolic Letters, such as the Sermon
on the Mount and the apostolic teachings.
The confession of sins
1455 The confession (or disclosure)
of sins, even from a simply human point of view, frees us and facilitates our
reconciliation with others. Through such an admission man looks squarely at the
sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens himself
again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future
possible.
1456 Confession to a priest is an
essential part of the sacrament of Penance: "All mortal sins of which
penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious must be recounted by
them in confession, even if they are most secret and have been committed
against the last two precepts of the Decalogue; for these sins sometimes wound
the soul more grievously and are more dangerous than those which are committed
openly."
When Christ's faithful strive to
confess all the sins that they can remember, they undoubtedly place all of them
before the divine mercy for pardon. But those who fail to do so and knowingly
withhold some, place nothing before the divine goodness for remission through
the mediation of the priest, "for if the sick person is too ashamed to
show his wound to the doctor, the medicine cannot heal what it does not
know."
1457 According to the Church's
command, "after having attained the age of discretion, each of the
faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least
once a year." Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin
must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition,
without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave
reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to
confession. Children must go to the sacrament of Penance before receiving
Holy Communion for the first time.
1458 Without being strictly
necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly
recommended by the Church. Indeed the regular confession of our venial
sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves
be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more
frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father's mercy, we are
spurred to be merciful as he is merciful:
Whoever confesses his sins . . . is
already working with God. God indicts your sins; if you also indict them, you
are joined with God. Man and sinner are, so to speak, two realities: when you
hear "man" - this is what God has made; when you hear "sinner"
- this is what man himself has made. Destroy what you have made, so that God
may save what he has made .... When you begin to abhor what you have made, it
is then that your good works are beginning, since you are accusing yourself of
your evil works. the beginning of good works is the confession of evil works.
You do the truth and come to the light.
Satisfaction
1459 Many sins wrong our neighbor.
One must do what is possible in order to repair the harm (e.g., return stolen
goods, restore the reputation of someone slandered, pay compensation for
injuries). Simple justice requires as much. But sin also injures and weakens
the sinner himself, as well as his relationships with God and neighbor.
Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has
caused. Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full
spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must
"make satisfaction for" or "expiate" his sins. This
satisfaction is also called "penance."
1460 The penance the confessor
imposes must take into account the penitent's personal situation and must seek
his spiritual good. It must correspond as far as possible with the gravity and
nature of the sins committed. It can consist of prayer, an offering, works of
mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary self-denial, sacrifices, and above all
the patient acceptance of the cross we must bear. Such penances help configure
us to Christ, who alone expiated our sins once for all. They allow us to become
co-heirs with the risen Christ, "provided we suffer with him."
The satisfaction that we make for
our sins, however, is not so much ours as though it were not done through Jesus
Christ. We who can do nothing ourselves, as if just by ourselves, can do all
things with the cooperation of "him who strengthens" us. Thus man has
nothing of which to boast, but all our boasting is in Christ . . . in whom we
make satisfaction by bringing forth "fruits that befit repentance."
These fruits have their efficacy from him, by him they are offered to the
Father, and through him they are accepted by the Father.
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.
·
Today is national Nut Day. Walnuts are
considered one of the healthiest nuts. Walnuts contain the most omega-3 fatty
acids. Walnuts also contain antioxidants that promote immune system health.
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Increase
of Vocations to the Holy Priesthood.
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: October
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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