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Wisdom is the last book written in
the Old Testament
1 Thessalonian’s is the first book written in the
new.
According
to copilot:
1 Thessalonians offers encouragement on overcoming
fear by living in faith. In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul reassures believers
that understanding God's plan should not cause anxiety but instead motivate
them to live faithfully. He reminds them that the "day of the
Lord" will come unexpectedly, but those who trust in Christ should not
be consumed by fear.
Additionally, 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15
encourages believers to support one another—admonishing the unruly, encouraging
the fainthearted, and helping the weak—all with patience and love. This passage
highlights the importance of ministering to others with sensitivity, ensuring
that fear does not take hold but is replaced with faith and encouragement.
2
Thessalonians offers guidance on overcoming fear, particularly in
the face of uncertainty about the future. In 2 Thessalonians 2:2, Paul
warns believers not to be shaken or alarmed by false claims that the "day
of the Lord" has already begun. He reassures them that God's plan is
unfolding as intended and that they should remain steadfast in their faith
rather than succumbing to fear.
Paul also encourages believers in 2 Thessalonians
2:15 to "stand firm and hold fast" to the teachings they
have received, reinforcing the idea that faith in God's promises is the
antidote to fear. The overarching message of the letter is that God is in
control, and believers do not need to fear the future.
Introduction
to Galatians[1]
The Galatians to whom the letter is addressed were Paul’s converts, most likely among the descendants of Celts who had invaded western and central Asia Minor in the third century B.C. and had settled in the territory around Ancyra (modern Ankara, Turkey). Paul had passed through this area on his second missionary journey this area was part of the Roman province of Galatia, and some scholars think that South Galatia was the destination of this letter. The new Christians whom Paul is addressing were converts from paganism who were now being enticed by other missionaries to add the observances of the Jewish law, including the rite of circumcision, to the cross of Christ as a means of salvation. For, since Paul’s visit, some other interpretation of Christianity had been brought to these neophytes, probably by converts from Judaism (the name “Judaizers” is sometimes applied to them); it has specifically been suggested that they were Jewish Christians who had come from the austere Essene sect. These interlopers insisted on the necessity of following certain precepts of the Mosaic law along with faith in Christ. They were undermining Paul’s authority also, asserting that he had not been trained by Jesus himself, that his gospel did not agree with that of the original and true apostles in Jerusalem, that he had kept from his converts in Galatia the necessity of accepting circumcision and other key obligations of the Jewish law, in order more easily to win them to Christ, and that his gospel was thus not the full and authentic one held by “those of repute” in Jerusalem. When Paul learned of the situation, he wrote this defense of his apostolic authority and of the correct understanding of the faith. He set forth the unique importance of Christ and his redemptive sacrifice on the cross, the freedom that Christians enjoy from the old burdens of the law, the total sufficiency of Christ and of faith in Christ as the way to God and to eternal life, and the beauty of the new life of the Spirit. Galatians is thus a summary of basic Pauline theology. Autobiographically, the letter gives us Paul’s own accounts of how he came to faith, the agreement in “the truth of the gospel” that he shared with the Jewish Christian leaders in Jerusalem, James, Cephas, and John, and the rebuke he had to deliver to Cephas in Antioch for inconsistency, contrary to the gospel, on the issue of table fellowship in the racially mixed church of Jewish and Gentile Christians in Antioch. At the conclusion of the letter, Paul wrote in his own hand a vivid summary of the message to the Galatians. In his vigorous emphasis on the absolute preeminence of Christ and his cross as God’s way to salvation and holiness, Paul stresses Christian freedom and the ineffectiveness of the Mosaic law for gaining divine favor and blessings. The pious Jew saw in the law a way established by God to win divine approval by a life of meticulous observance of ritual, social, and moral regulations. But Paul’s profound insight into the higher designs of God in Christ led him to understand and welcome the priority of promise and faith (shown in the experience of Abraham, and the supernatural gifts of the Spirit. His enthusiasm for this new vision of the life of grace in Christ and of the uniquely salvific role of Christ’s redemptive death on the cross shines through this whole letter.
JUNE 7 First Saturday
WHITSON EVE
Galatians,
chapter 2, verse 11-12
11 And when Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong. 12 For, until some people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to draw back and separated himself, because he was AFRAID of the circumcised.
Peter was afraid of
James’ crew due to his inconsistency. The Church recognized the freedom of
Gentile Christians from the Jewish law. As we study righteousness understand
that a large part of righteous is to be consistent; in season and out of
season.
Piety[2]
Being pious is not
squeezing one’s eyes shut to the world and putting on a sweet little angel
face, Pope Francis said. Piety is opening up one’s heart to God and one’s arms
to embrace everyone as brothers and sisters. “The gift of piety that the Holy
Spirit gives us makes us meek; it makes us peaceful, patient and at peace with
God in gentle service to others,” The Pope said he wanted to clarify its
meaning right away “because some people think that being pious is closing your
eyes, putting on a sweet angel face, isn’t that right? No Piety is not to
pretend to be a saint” and holier than thou; but piety is recognizing “our
belonging to God, our deep bond with him, a relationship that gives meaning to
our whole life and keeps us resolute, in communion with him, even during the
most difficult and troubled moments” in life, he said. This personal bond with
the Lord is not created out of obligation or force, he said; it is “a
relationship lived from the heart,” a friendship that “changes our life and
fills us with enthusiasm and joy,” gratitude, praise and “authentic worship of
God.” “When the Holy Spirit helps us sense the presence of the Lord and all of
his love for us, it warms our heart and drives us almost naturally to prayer
and celebration,” the Pope said. Once people experience the loving relationship
of God as father, “it helps us pour out this love onto others and recognize
them as brothers and sisters”. Piety is about identity and belonging, he said,
that is why it renders people “truly capable of being joyful with those who are
happy; to cry with those who weep; to be near those who are alone or in
distress; to correct those in error; to console the afflicted; to welcome and
come to the aid of those in need.” Pope said the spirit of God is about kinship
— a spirit of adoption, not “a spirit of slavery to fall back on into fear. Let
us ask the Lord that the gift of his Spirit overcome our fears and
uncertainties, our restless and impatient spirit, too, and that it may make us
joyous witnesses of God and his love.” The Pope asked that people pray they
could adore God in a genuine, not forced or fake, way, and to be in service to
others “with gentleness and also a smile.
First Saturday-Time
to Get Serious About Fatima[3]
The
world's gone mad. Take the attacks and outrages perpetrated by men upon their
neighbors or the persecutions of the Church in
to
compare tragedies, to try to determine who's most wounded, who is most in pain.
Rather, it's time and long past time to apply the solutions we've had all
along. I'm talking, of course, about the message of Fatima, specifically Our Lady's calls for
the daily Rosary for peace in the world and the Five First Saturday’s devotion.
My
fellow Marian Fr. Seraphim Michalenko sometimes tells a story that a priest
ministering in Japan shared with him in Rome. This priest was attending an
international gathering of Christians from across the world, attended by
foreign dignitaries. The ambassador from Japan approached the priest, verified
that the priest served in Japan and was a Catholic priest, and then said,
"War is your fault." The priest was surprised and asked what the
ambassador meant. The ambassador said, "You Catholics, all of you — we do
not have peace in the world. It is your fault." The priest said,
"Ambassador, why do you blame us?" The ambassador said, "I've
read about this. The Lady came to you at Fatima, right? That's what you
believe? She told you what to do to secure peace in the world. Well, there's no
peace in the world, so obviously you Catholics haven't done it." The
priest had to acknowledge that the ambassador was correct, but still tried to
protest, saying, "Isn't peace everyone's responsibility?" The
ambassador was vehement. "No, she came to you Catholics. Not to Buddhists.
Not to Hindus. She came to you, and it is your responsibility."
We've
been given the answer. Pray the Rosary daily for peace in the world and invite
others to pray with you. At college, there would occasionally be "sit ins
for peace." A number of my fellow students, passionately convicted and
righteously indignant though they were, would go and sit outside the student
center with signs. That was their sit in for peace. It always massively
frustrated me because here we were, a Catholic school, armed with a whole host
of powerful prayers and devotions, and there they were just sitting. If they'd
just bothered to pray the Rosary, their protest would have meant a great deal
in this world and the next.
Why
not arrange for a Rosary for peace at your colleges and universities, if not
every day, then at least every Saturday, traditionally set aside as Our Lady’s
Day?
Why
not revive the tradition of family and neighborhood Rosaries, offered
specifically for the intention of peace in the world?
What
about having a regular Rosary for peace at your parish, maybe even before Mass
with the permission of your pastor?
• Make the Five First Saturdays devotion
• Consecrate yourself to the Immaculate Heart, and encourage others to do the
same.
• Become invested in the Brown Scapular.
• Do penance for your sins and on behalf of poor sinners everywhere.
Don't just sit there — the world is in trouble, and we have the answer.
Whitsun Eve[4]
Similar to the Easter Vigil, the
Vigil of Pentecost can be celebrated in a way that preserves its rich
traditions.
Fifty
days after the high feast of Easter, the Church comes together to celebrate the
coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It is one of the principal feasts of
the year and marks the end of the Easter season. Historically the feast of
Pentecost was given a greater emphasis and its vigil the day before was
connected to the Easter Vigil in many ways.
There
was a service called by the English Whitsun Eve, during which the catechumens
who had not been baptized at Easter received the sacraments on the eve of
Pentecost. Similar to the Easter Vigil, it was celebrated in a “night watch”
liturgy that included the reading of six prophecies and a solemn blessing of
the baptismal font.
After
the celebration of Baptism, the newly baptized would be vested in a white alb,
symbolizing their new birth in the life of grace. Thus Pentecost is also called
Whitsunday by English speakers, a word that simply means “White Sunday,” in
reference to the white albs the newly baptized would wear.
In recognition of this ancient
tradition, the current Roman Missal has revived this extended vigil. Below is a
brief guide to how Pentecost can be celebrated according to the Third Edition
of the Roman Missal.
Evening Prayer
Prior
to the start of Mass, it is an option to begin the celebration with the
recitation of Evening Prayer (Vespers). This includes several Psalms and ends
right before the Liturgy of the Word during Mass.
Liturgy of the Word
Similar
to the Easter Vigil, there are four readings from the Old Testament that are
read. The priest will pray the following prayer before these readings, which
summarizes the overall “spirit” of the Pentecost Vigil.
Dear brethren, we have now begun our
Pentecost Vigil, after the example of the apostles and disciples, who with
Mary, the mother of Jesus, persevered in prayer, awaiting the Spirit promised
by the Lord; like them, let us, too, listen with quiet hearts to the Word of
God.
Let us meditate on how many great deeds God
in times past did for his people and let us pray that the Holy Spirit, whom the
Father sent as the first fruits for those who believe, may bring to perfection
his work in the world.
These
readings reflect various prefigurements of the coming of the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost starting in Genesis, and ending in the book of Joel. Each reading has
its own proper prayer, which bring out the truths revealed in this ancient
texts. Here is the one after a reading from the book of Exodus.
O God, who in fire and lightning gave the
ancient law to Moses on Mount Sinai and on this day manifested the new covenant
in the fire of the Spirit, grant, we pray, that we may always be aflame with
that same Spirit whom you wondrously poured out on your apostles, and that the
new Israel, gathered from every people, may receive with rejoicing the eternal
commandment of your love. Through Christ our Lord.
After
the fourth reading and its Psalm is completed, the Gloria is sung with great
jubilation. Then a reading from Romans is recited, which recalls the how the
Holy Spirit helps us in our need. The Gospel is then proclaimed, and Mass
continues as usual.
In
the Ordinariate Missal of Divine Worship, the Litany of Saints is sung, again
echoing the Easter Vigil Mass.
Celebration of Baptism
Though
not a requirement of the Pentecost Vigil, it remains fitting to celebrate
baptisms during this Mass after the homily. This can occur for various pastoral
reasons and reflects the continuity of the liturgy throughout the ages.
Liturgy of the Eucharist
The remainder of Mass is the same
as usual, with no special additions. Mass is concluded with the solemn
dismissal, “Go forth, the Mass is ended, Alleluia, Alleluia.” Pentecost marks
the last use of the Easter season double Alleluia.
Feast of Pentecost, or Whitsunday.[5]
This is the day that the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles, giving
them the grace and resolve to teach and convert all nations. The feast is
fitting for a number of reasons. First, it corresponds to the Jewish feast of
Pentecost, the great religious and agricultural festival of First Fruits. The
Christian Pentecost, on the other hand, celebrates the first fruits of the Holy
Spirit and of all our Lord's promises. (The Pentecost Octave is considered an
ideal time to meditate on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.) And just as the
Jewish Pentecost is celebrated fifty days after Passover, the Christian
Pentecost is celebrated fifty days after Easter ("Pentecost" is the
Greek word for fifty). God also revealed the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai fifty
days after the first Passover, and so it is fitting the New Law was promulgated
by the Apostles fifty days after it was ratified by the Lamb of God's
self-sacrifice. Finally, the week after Pentecost constitutes the concluding
stage of the Easter season, which quietly ends on the following Saturday
afternoon. One distinctive feature of this week that bears special mention are
the Ember Days. It no doubt strikes us as odd that three days of the jubilant
Octave of Pentecost are reserved for fasting. This befuddlement has much to do
with a common misconception about fasting, which tends to see the practice as a
sign of contrition and sorrow. As is clear from the Mosaic Law, however,
fasting can be joyous as well as penitential. In fact, it can express a variety
of moods and serve a number of purposes. In the case of the Whitsundaytide
Ember Days (as Pope St. Leo the Great once explained), the Apostles were
commissioned by the Spirit to embark on a great mission, but before doing so
they readied themselves with a holy fast by which they could more effectively
wage war against the forces of evil. This was not a fast of mourning, but a
fast of gladsome training and preparation. By following the example of the
Apostles, St. Leo tells us, we too are joyfully preparing ourselves for our
mission as witnesses of Christ to an unbelieving world. Having undergone the
purgation of Lent and the sanctification of Paschaltide, we too are poised to
burst out of the closed doors and speak the Good News of salvation.
Apostolic Exhortation[6]
Veneremur
Cernui – Down in Adoration Falling
of The Most
Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix,
to Priests, Deacons, Religious and the Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Phoenix
on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
My beloved Brothers and
Sisters in Christ,
Part III
Loving and Adoring the
Eucharistic Lord
82. The expression “waste time
in front of the Lord” should be understood only through the lens of love, of
which the saints are constant reminders. Blessed Charles de Foucauld wrote in
the presence of the Eucharist: “What a tremendous delight, my God! To spend
over fifteen hours without having anything else to do but look at you and tell
you, ‘Lord, I love you.’ Oh, what sweet delight.” True, this impressive
duration of time may have been an extraordinary gift to this holy man and
hermit. But the faith and love he bore in his heart for the Eucharist is a supernatural
gift available to every one of us, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit to
those who ask.
83. To all fathers and mothers,
let your children see that devotion to the Eucharist in adoration is an
essential, life-giving part of your schedule! As every parent knows, children
learn from consistent actions more than words. When I was a boy, I was deeply
impressed by the sight of my father genuflecting before the tabernacle. His
humble and straight-forward witness communicated more to me about the truth of
the Eucharist than even the best of catechists. When it comes to the Eucharist,
every child’s heart secretly asks:
does Dad believe it? Does Mom
believe it?
Tell them you do! But
above all, show them you do. Eucharistic adoration does this in a powerful way.
It is never too late to start this practice, no matter the age of your
children.
84. There are a host of ways to
increase the time we spend in Eucharistic adoration. I’ll suggest just a few
for your consideration.
·
Make a ten-minute visit to the tabernacle in a
church or chapel on the way back from work, on the way to a family gathering,
or even on the way to a simple daily errand. It’s not about the length of time
spent; it is about the faith, hope, and love with which you spend those moments
in the Lord’s presence.
·
Find out when your parish has Eucharistic
adoration and schedule a weekly or monthly time (perhaps 30 to 60 minutes) and
stick to it. Consider inviting your spouse, family, or a friend to accompany
you.
·
During your time of adoration, consider praying
the liturgy of the hours, the rosary, prayerfully reading the Scriptures,
reading a good spiritual book, or using a collection of prayers for use in the
adoration, or gazing on the Sacred Host in silence.
To be continued…
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Day 355 2773
PART FOUR: CHRISTIAN PRAYER
SECTION TWO-THE LORD'S PRAYER
Article 1-"THE
SUMMARY OF THE WHOLE GOSPEL"
IN BRIEF
2773 In response to his
disciples' request "Lord, teach us to pray" (Lk 11:1), Jesus entrusts
them with the fundamental Christian prayer, the Our Father.
2774 "The Lord's Prayer is
truly the summary of the whole gospel," The "most perfect of
prayers." It is at the center of the Scriptures.
2775 It is called "the
Lord's Prayer" because it comes to us from the Lord Jesus, the master and
model of our prayer.
2776 The Lord's Prayer is the quintessential prayer of the Church. It is an integral part of the major hours of the Divine Office and of the sacraments of Christian initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Integrated into the Eucharist it reveals the eschatological character of its petitions, hoping for the Lord, "until he comes" (1 Cor 11:26).
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Holy
Bishops and Cardinals
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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