DAY 32 - MARY, GATE OF HEAVEN, PRAY FOR US
Claire’s Corner-I graduated from High School in the Region known as Wallonia in Belgium and today is Day of Wallonia and it is Farm Animal Awareness Week!
· Feeling spontaneous and up for a fun-filled day?
o Start by showing appreciation for your significant other with a heartfelt gesture.
· How about whipping up a delicious cheese toast breakfast to kick things off?
o Then, get crafty and create a custom picture frame to preserve a special memory.
o Dive into the vast pool of knowledge online to celebrate National Google.com Day by researching a new topic that piques your interest — maybe even join an online learning course.
· After some mental stimulation, why not let loose and have a dance party in honor of Africa Civility Day?
o Embrace your roots by rocking an Afro hairstyle while boogying to some funky beats.
· Feeling puckish?
o Indulge in a juicy double cheeseburger to satisfy your cravings.
o Don’t forget to accessorize with a handmade hat for Make a Hat Day — the wackier, the better!
· Cap off your day with a delectable butterscotch cinnamon pie in celebration of the small pleasures in life.
· Sip on a refreshing crème de menthe cocktail as you unwind and reflect on the day’s festivities.
· Remember, it’s not about the grand gestures but the little moments that bring joy and laughter.
SEPTEMBER 15 Seventeenth Sunday after
Pentecost
OUR LADY OF SORROWS
1 Samuel, Chapter 12, Verse 14
These
were the word of the Priest Samuel at the coronation of King Saul and just like
Eli Saul and his family did not listen to the voice of the Lord and rebelled.
Our only king was crowned not with gold but with thorns. It was His afflictions
which prepared us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure. Hear His
voice.
“The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials—Chinese proverb.”
ON KEEPING THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[1]
My esteemed Brothers in the
Episcopate
and the Priesthood,
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Introduction
4. Until quite recently, it was easier in traditionally
Christian countries to keep Sunday holy because it was an almost universal
practice and because, even in the organization of civil society, Sunday rest
was considered a fixed part of the work schedule. Today, however, even in those
countries which give legal sanction to the festive character of Sunday, changes
in socioeconomic conditions have often led to profound modifications of social
behavior and hence of the character of Sunday. The custom of the "weekend"
has become more widespread, a weekly period of respite, spent perhaps far from
home and often involving participation in cultural, political or sporting
activities which are usually held on free days. This social and cultural
phenomenon is by no means without its positive aspects if, while respecting
true values, it can contribute to people's development and to the advancement
of the life of society as a whole. All of this responds not only to the need
for rest, but also to the need for celebration which is inherent in our
humanity. Unfortunately, when Sunday loses its fundamental meaning and becomes
merely part of a "weekend", it can happen that people stay locked
within a horizon so limited that they can no longer see "the heavens".
Hence, though ready to celebrate, they are really incapable of doing so.
The disciples of Christ, however, are asked to avoid any confusion between the celebration of Sunday, which should truly be a way of keeping the Lord's Day holy, and the "weekend", understood as a time of simple rest and relaxation. This will require a genuine spiritual maturity, which will enable Christians to "be what they are", in full accordance with the gift of faith, always ready to give an account of the hope which is in them (cf. 1 Pt 3:15). In this way, they will be led to a deeper understanding of Sunday, with the result that, even in difficult situations, they will be able to live it in complete docility to the Holy Spirit.
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost[2]
This Sunday recognizes the double
love of God and neighbor.
Today is Catechetical Sunday.
IN
the Introit of the Mass, the justice and mercy of God are praised. Thou are
just, O Lord, and Thy judgment is right. Deal with Thy servant according to Thy
mercy. Blessed are the undefiled who walk in the law of the Lord (Ps. cxviii.).
Prayer.
Grant to Thy people, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to avoid
the contagion of the devil, and with a pure mind to seek Thee, the only God.
EPISTLE. Eph. iv. 1-6.
Brethren:
I, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation in
which you are called, with all humility and mildness, with patience, supporting
one another in charity, careful to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of
peace. One body and one spirit, as you are called in one hope of your calling.
One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is above all,
and through all, and in us all, Who is blessed forever and ever. Amen.
Practice.
The
words, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, confound
those who assert that a man may be saved in any belief. There can be but one
true religion; they who profess it should be united by the bond of
charity, and their lives be worthy of their vocation to the true faith.
GOSPEL. Matt. xxii. 35-46.
At that time
the Pharisees came nigh to Jesus, and one of them, a doctor of the law, asked
Him, tempting Him: Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus
said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with
thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind; This is the greatest and the first
commandment. And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself. On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets.
And the Pharisees being gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying: What think
you of Christ? Whose son is He? They say to Him: David’s. He saith to them: How
then doth David in spirit call Him Lord, saying: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit
on My right hand, until I make Thy enemies Thy footstool? If David then call
Him Lord, how is He his son? And no man was able to answer Him a word: neither
durst any man from that day forth ask Him any more questions.
Why is this
commandment to love God and our neighbor called the great commandment?
Because
in these two are contained all the others, so that he who fulfils these fulfils
the whole law. For whoever loves God with his whole heart does not murmur
against God; does not dishonor His name by cursing and swearing; does not
desecrate the Sabbath-day, because he knows that all this is offensive to God.
On the contrary, he hopes in God; gives thanks and praise to God; sanctifies
the Sundays and holy-days, because he knows this to be pleasing to God;
observes the precepts of the Church, because he knows it to be the will of God
that he should hear the Church; honors his parents; does no injury to his
neighbor; does not commit adultery; does not steal; slanders no one; bears no
false witness; pronounces no unjust judgment; is not envious, malicious,
unmerciful, but rather practices towards every one the corporal and spiritual
works of mercy; and all this because, out of love to God, he loves his neighbor
as himself. Thus, love fulfils all the commandments.
What is the
meaning of the question, “What think you of Christ?”
Christ
put this question to the Pharisees in order that, by their own answer, He might
convince them that He was not merely a lineal son of David, but that He was the
Son of God, begotten from eternity, on which account He called Himself David’s
Lord. That Christ is the Son of God, our Lord, our Teacher, our Lawgiver, our
Redeemer and Savior, we Christians know well, for we daily profess it; but how
many of us, in deeds, deny it, since we do not follow His teaching nor observe
His commandments! What, then, will Christ one day be to such? What but a judge
to condemn, and a God to punish?
Why must we
love our neighbor?
Because
we are all, not merely by descent from Adam, but much more through the grace of
Jesus, children of God and members of one family. As children of God, we bear
in us the likeness of God. But God loved and still loves all men; for the
salvation of all He has given up His only Son, that all may be saved; shall we
then love one and hate another, and yet think to be like God? Through the grace
of Jesus, we are all redeemed, made members of His body, yes, partakers of His
body and blood. Therefore St. Paul admonishes us: “You are all one in Christ”
(Gal. iii. 28), be therefore careful to keep the unity of the spirit in the
bond of peace” (Ephes. iv. 3). How natural is it for the members of one body
not to wound each other! Jesus, our Redeemer, gave His life for us when we were
His enemies, and even on the cross prayed for His murderers. We are His
disciples. But can we be allowed to call ourselves so without possessing this
mark of His discipleship? (John xiii. 15.) Thus, everything incites us to love:
the law of nature and of revelation, the example of Christ, all the promises
and hopes that we have. In truth, how, without love, could we hope to enter the
kingdom of love? There can be no answer to this reasoning: “Would you be a
disciple of Jesus, an heir of His kingdom? then love like Him; and He has shed
His blood for His mortal enemies.
Our Lady of Sorrows
We
must follow the example of Our Lady
of Sorrows and bring our savior to others and undergo the joys with the
sorrows. Today would be a good day to contemplate the seven sorrows of our Lady
and to pray and honor her for she is our mother too.
This feast is dedicated to the spiritual martyrdom of Mary,
Mother of God, and her compassion with the sufferings of her Divine Son, Jesus.
In her suffering as co-redeemer, she reminds us of the tremendous evil of sin
and shows us the way of true repentance. May the numerous tears of the Mother
of God be conducive to our salvation; with which tears Thou, O God, art able to
wash away the sins of the whole world.
As Mary stood at the foot of the Cross on which Jesus hung,
the sword of sorrow Simeon had foretold pierced her soul. Below are the seven
sorrows of Mary:
- The
prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:25-35)
- The
flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)
- Loss
of the Child Jesus for three days (Luke 2:41-50)
- Mary
meets Jesus on his way to Calvary (Luke 23:27-31; John 19:17)
- Crucifixion
and Death of Jesus (John 19:25-30)
- The
body of Jesus being taken from the Cross (Psalm 130; Luke 23:50-54;
John 19:31-37)
- The
burial of Jesus (Isaiah 53:8; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42; Mark
15:40-47)
Pope Pius VII[3] approved another series of prayers in honor of the Seven Sorrows
for daily meditation in 1815:
O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory
be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is
now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
1. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the affliction of your
tender heart at the prophecy of the holy and aged Simeon. Dear Mother, by your
heart so afflicted, obtain for me the virtue of humility and the gift of the
holy fear of God. Hail Mary…
2. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the anguish of your
most affectionate heart during the flight into Egypt and your sojourn there.
Dear Mother, by your heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of generosity,
especially toward the poor, and the gift of piety. Hail Mary…
3. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in those anxieties which
tried your troubled heart at the loss of your dear Jesus. Dear Mother, by your
heart so full of anguish, obtain for me the virtue of chastity and the gift of
knowledge. Hail Mary…
4. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the consternation of
your heart at meeting Jesus as He carried His Cross. Dear Mother, by your heart
so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of patience and the gift of fortitude.
Hail Mary…
5. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the martyrdom which
your generous heart endured in standing near Jesus in His agony. Dear Mother,
by your afflicted heart obtain for me the virtue of temperance and the gift of
counsel. Hail Mary…
6. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the wounding of your
compassionate heart, when the side of Jesus was struck by the lance before His
Body was removed from the Cross. Dear Mother, by your heart thus transfixed,
obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity and the gift of understanding.
Hail Mary…
7. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, for the pangs that
wrenched your most loving heart at the burial of Jesus. Dear Mother, by your
heart sunk in the bitterness of desolation, obtain for me the virtue of
diligence and the gift of wisdom. Hail Mary…
Let Us Pray:
Let intercession be made for us, we beseech You, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Your mercy, by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Your Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Your bitter Passion. Through You, O Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns world without end. Amen.
Daily meditate upon the Seven Sorrows. Please the Sacred Heart of
the Redeemer by pondering the Sorrowful Heart of the Co-redemptrix. Receive the
remarkably generous graces which come from uniting our hearts each day to the
Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of the Mother.
St.
Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373), Our Lady directly revealed the amazing graces
granted by her Son for all those who daily and pray seven Hail Mary’s while
meditating on her seven dolors and tears:
1.
“I will grant peace to their families.”
2. “They will be enlightened about
the Divine Mysteries.”
3. “I will console them in their pains,
and I will accompany them in their work.”
4. “I will give them as much as
they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my Divine Son
or the sanctification of their souls.”
5. “I will defend them in their spiritual
battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of
their lives.”
6. “I will visibly help them at the
moment of their death—they will see the face of their mother.”
7. “I have obtained this grace from
my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors
will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all
their sins will be forgiven, and my Son will be their eternal consolation and
joy.”[4]
Things to Do[5]
·
Listen to the Catholic Culture podcast Ep. 72—Stabat Mater—interview with Francesco Cotticelli,
exploring the setting of Stabat Mater, completed by the 26-year-old Giovanni
Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736) as he was dying of tuberculosis.
·
Teach your children the Seven Sorrows of Mary.
Read more about this devotion. September is traditionally dedicated to Our
Lady of Sorrows.
· Present different art pieces of Our Lady of Sorrows, or illustration of one of her sorrows, for meditation and discussion. There are so many different pieces from all different eras, countries and mediums. Search words for art titles would be Lamentation, Deposition, Pieta, Dolorosa, Sorrows, etc. Some samples:
o
The Seven
Sorrows of the Virgin by Albrecht Durer
o
Michelangelo's Pieta
o
Pieta
by Giovanni Bellini
o
Vincent Van Gogh's Pieta
o
Titian's Mater
Dolorosa
o
Different artists on the
Presentation in the Temple
o
Various artists on the Flight
into Egypt
·
Discuss why Mary is called the Queen of Martyrs.
·
Make a heart-shaped cake for dessert, decorated
with the swords piercing the heart.
·
Think of ways to make reparation to Mary for the
sins committed against Our Lord.
·
Pray the short prayer or ejaculation, Holy
Mother, imprint deeply upon my heart the wounds of the Crucified.
·
Read or sing the Stabat Mater, perhaps
incorporating it with the Stations of the Cross.
·
In Italy, the title of Our Lady of Sorrows is Maria
Santissima Addolorata. This devotion began in the 1200s. She is the patron
of many Italian cities. In southern Italy there is La Festa della Madonna
dei Sette Dolori (the festival of the Seven Sorrows of the Madonna),
instituted in 1423, also called Madonna dell’Addolorata Festival. The food
connected to this festival is cuccia salata, wheat berries cooked in meat broth
and layered with goat or pork.
·
I will be hiking and praying using my reflections
in my book Divine
Mercy Hikes.
Catechism of the Catholic
Church
Day 93
III. THE MEANING AND SAVING
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESURRECTION
651 "If Christ has not
been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in
vain." The Resurrection above all constitutes the confirmation of all
Christ's works and teachings. All truths, even those most inaccessible to human
reason, find their justification if Christ by his Resurrection has given the
definitive proof of his divine authority, which he had promised.
652 Christ's Resurrection is
the fulfilment of the promises both of the Old Testament and of Jesus himself
during his earthly life. The phrase "in accordance with the
Scriptures" indicates that Christ's Resurrection fulfilled these predictions.
653 The truth of Jesus'
divinity is confirmed by his Resurrection. He had said: "When you have
lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he." The
Resurrection of the crucified one shows that he was truly "I AM", the
Son of God and God himself. So St. Paul could declare to the Jews: "What
God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by
raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, 'You are my Son,
today I have begotten you.'" Christ's Resurrection is closely linked
to the Incarnation of God's Son, and is its fulfilment in accordance with God's
eternal plan.
654 The Paschal mystery has two
aspects: by his death, Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, he
opens for us the way to a new life. This new life is above all justification
that reinstates us in God's grace, "so that as Christ was raised from the
dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."
Justification consists in both victory over the death caused by sin and a new
participation in grace. It brings about filial adoption so that men become
Christ's brethren, as Jesus himself called his disciples after his
Resurrection: "Go and tell my brethren." We are brethren not by
nature, but by the gift of grace, because that adoptive filiation gains us a
real share in the life of the only Son, which was fully revealed in his
Resurrection.
655 Finally, Christ's
Resurrection - and the risen Christ himself is the principle and source of our
future resurrection: "Christ has been raised from the dead, the first
fruits of those who have fallen asleep. . . For as in Adam all die, so also in
Christ shall all be made alive." The risen Christ lives in the hearts
of his faithful while they await that fulfilment. In Christ, Christians
"have tasted. . . the powers of the age to come" and their lives
are swept up by Christ into the heart of divine life, so that they may
"live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was
raised."
IN BRIEF
656 Faith in the
Resurrection has as its object an event which as historically attested to by
the disciples, who really encountered the Risen One. At the same time, this
event is mysteriously transcendent insofar as it is the entry of Christ's
humanity into the glory of God.
657 The empty tomb and the
linen cloths lying there signify in themselves that by God's power Christ's
body had escaped the bonds of death and corruption. They prepared the disciples
to encounter the Risen Lord.
658 Christ, "the
first-born from the dead" (Col 1:18), is the principle of our own
resurrection, even now by the justification of our souls (cf Rom 6:4), and one
day by the new life he will impart to our bodies (cf Rom 8:11).
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Families of St. Joseph’s Porters.
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: September
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[2]Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[4]http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/2010/09/the-promises-of-the-seen-sorrows/
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