This post has been edited by khool: Oct 2 2016, 06:35 PM

A warning to one of the Churches of Revelation, yes?

I think all Catholics from time to time, are tempted to doubt their faith. I myself have walked through this valley of darkness, weighed down by my baggage of doubts, conflicted by burning questions that seem to find no satisfactory answers. In my search, I felt drawn to the personalism of the Protestant faith, the humanistic theologies of dissenting theologians and the novelty of new age spiritualities. Although, I do not think that my experience is representative of every Catholic, I am convinced that I was, and am not alone in my confusion.

There are times when our confident or perhaps even over confident faith, is brought crashing down because of what is presently happening in our lives. There are times when our faith seems so trivial and weak in the face of gigantic threats to our health, our family and our self-worth. When confronted with tragedy, injustice or interior aridity, we lose confidence in God and begin to ask, “Where is God?” To experience these things does not mean that we lack faith. It may mean, however, that we have come up to the limits of our faith, to its frontier in our hearts. We can’t see beyond the present horizon because our faith doesn’t extend too far beyond the present moment. The German Lutheran theologian Paul Tillich once proposed that “doubt isn’t the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith.” In many cases, doubt can be a destructive force that leads a person away from faith. But in other cases, doubt has led people to explore their faith, to investigate alternatives, to seek new understanding and finally this resulted in a deepened faith.

Overwhelmed by the demands of the discipleship, the apostles in today’s gospel passage experience a crisis of faith. They cry out for help and relief from their Master. The Lord had been teaching them to renounce their wealth and take up their crosses on a daily basis. He also reminded them of the importance of vigilance- 24/7. The Lord had also been instructing them on the imperative of forgiveness, which is among the most difficult battles in the Christian life. If your brother “wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him.” And finally, it is difficult to believe how the cross leads to everlasting life. No wonder the apostles wanted more faith. They recognised that without God’s assistance, all these would prove impossible. And so the only request they could muster in their desperation was this, “Increase our faith!”

However, faith is not a superpower that makes super heroes of us. Faith is not like the power-up we use for our game-characters in order to boost their performance. We must take care to distinguish faith as a supernatural virtue either from religious feelings or sentiments arising from devotion. Neither is faith the equivalent of religious ardour, a spiritual bravado that makes its possessor courageous and fearless. The Lord shockingly reminds them that they do not need a lot of faith, just a tiny mustard seed of faith is enough. By using the uncommonly small mustard seed as an example, Jesus is speaking figuratively about the incalculable power of God when unleashed in the lives of those with faith. In other words, He is saying, “You don’t even need faith the size of a mustard seed. The little bit of faith you have is enough for God to do the impossible in your life.” Today, the Lord is not asking us how much faith we have but rather, what are we doing with the faith that He has already given us.

All these beg the question, “What is faith?” Well, the answer has two parts to it. Faith is both a gift, as well as a response. As much as people often try to work themselves up to some level of belief, they must remember that faith is first and foremost a gift of God. We can’t earn it. We can’t buy it. We cannot acquire it on our own, through our own efforts or through any human power. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that “Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by Him.” (CCC 153) In baptism, we are all given the gift of supernatural faith. That is why, unlike some Protestant sects that reject infant baptism in favour of believer’s baptism, we baptise infants. At baptism, the prodigious seed of faith is planted in the child, awaiting to be nurtured by his or her parents and the community of the Church.

Since, the gift of faith has to be nurtured, it is also a response. The Church teaches that faith is a theological virtue. And a virtue, says St. Thomas Aquinas, is a habit, a power or capacity that gets stronger when it is exercised and atrophies when it is not. So picture this, faith is like a spiritual muscle. Faith takes practice. It takes discipline. You exercise it by making acts of faith both in prayer and action. People who do nothing about the gift of faith received at baptism can lose it. The Catechism tells us that “to live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith; it must be “working through charity,” abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church” (CCC 162). Though many choose to develop their faith, many others unfortunately do not.

There is no denying that we live in a world of decreased faith. The problems on all fronts seem to be escalating: people are scared and scarred. We are experiencing one of the worst financial crisis in decades and many stand hapless as we witness the blatant corruption of officials and a government that frustrates many people. All of our systems - education, economic, political - are in some kind of crisis. Even religion isn’t spared. Whether one chooses to pay attention to it or deny it, sheer realism compels us to admit that there is also a crisis of faith in the Church. Young people abandoning the faith of their childhood, regular church attendance is at a low, aging parishes, a shortage of priests, declining religious vocations and growing numbers of self-identified Catholics who dissent from Church teaching. What do we make of all this?

Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, provided the answer in his first encyclical on faith, “Lumen Fidei”- the “Light of Faith.” In this encyclical Pope Francis wrote, “Faith is not a light which scatters all our darkness, but a lamp which guides our steps in the night and suffices for the journey. To those who suffer, God does not provide arguments which explain everything; rather, his response is that of an accompanying presence, a history of goodness which touches every story of suffering and opens up a ray of light. In Christ, God himself wishes to share this path with us and to offer us his gaze so that we might see the light within it. Christ is the one who, having endured suffering, is “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Heb12:2).”

How much faith are you running on? A full tank? Half a tank? Dangerously running close to empty? Instead of lamenting about your meagre supply of faith, the gospel today invites you to bring your own mustard seeds of faith, in many different shapes and sizes, in the hope that God will make good what is lacking. There is enough faith in this room to change the world. If only we have the courage to believe. If you are struggling with your faith, or wondering how your faith life fits into the rest of your life, remember this – keep praying, keep believing, keep practicing. When you are running on empty and you can’t remember the last time you prayed, trust and believe that you have been given a supernatural gift at baptism, a gift more powerful than any super-human power, a gift that can cast out demons, heal the sick, allow you to walk on water, uproot trees and even mountains, but more importantly a gift that can lead you up Calvary and take you through the narrow door of salvation. Have faith!

Source: http://michaelckw.blogspot.my/

Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lectionary: 462

Reading 1 (Gal 1:13-24)

Brothers and sisters:
You heard of my former way of life in Judaism,
how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure
and tried to destroy it,
and progressed in Judaism
beyond many of my contemporaries among my race,
since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions.
But when he, who from my mother’s womb had set me apart
and called me through his grace,
was pleased to reveal his Son to me,
so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles,
I did not immediately consult flesh and blood,
nor did I go up to Jerusalem
to those who were Apostles before me;
rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas
and remained with him for fifteen days.
But I did not see any other of the Apostles,
only James the brother of the Lord.
(As to what I am writing to you, behold,
before God, I am not lying.)
Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
And I was unknown personally to the churches of Judea
that are in Christ;
they only kept hearing that “the one who once was persecuting us
is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
So they glorified God because of me.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15)

R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

Alleluia (Lk 11:28)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 10:38-42)

Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”

eh ... lepanto is on 7th Oct? ooooh ... yes, yes, i mixed up with vienna, on 11 September ... hehehehehe

interesting fact, i believe it is due to the victory at lepanto, the Black Madonna art pieces came about ...


This post has been edited by khool: Oct 5 2016, 10:02 AM

Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 464

Reading 1 (Gal 3:1-5)

O stupid Galatians!
Who has bewitched you,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
I want to learn only this from you:
did you receive the Spirit from works of the law,
or from faith in what you heard?
Are you so stupid?
After beginning with the Spirit,
are you now ending with the flesh?
Did you experience so many things in vain?–
if indeed it was in vain.
Does, then, the one who supplies the Spirit to you
and works mighty deeds among you
do so from works of the law
or from faith in what you heard?

Responsorial Psalm (Lk 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75)

R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to his people.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to his people.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to his people.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to his people.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to his people.

Alleluia (Acts 16:14b)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Open our hearts, O Lord,
to listen to the words of your Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 11:5-13)

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,’
and he says in reply from within,
‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.’
I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
What father among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit
to those who ask him?”

Pope announces 17 new Cardinals in consistory

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis at the end of his Angelus on Sunday announced the creation of 17 new Cardinals. A consistory will be held on the 19 of November, the eve of the closing of the Jubilee of Mercy.

13 of the new Cardinals will be under 80 years and will be eligible to vote in a conclave.

The Holy Father said that the those chosen come from five continents. They include three American Archbishops and Archbishops from Mauritius and Bangladesh.

Below find the list of new Cardinals

Archbishop Mario Zenari, Italy
Archbishop Dieudonné Nzapalainga, Central African Republic
Archbishop Carlos Osoro Sierra, Spain
Archbishop Sérgio da Rocha, Brazil
Archbishop Blase J. Cupich, U.S.A.
Archbishop Patrick D’Rozario, Bangladesh
Archbishop Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo, Venezuela
Archbishop Jozef De Kesel, Belgium
Archbishop Maurice Piat, Mauritius
Archbishop Kevin Joseph Farrell, U.S.A.
Archbishop Carlos Aguiar Retes, Mexico
Archbishop John Ribat, Papua Nuova Guinea
Archbishop Mons. Joseph William Tobin U.S.A.
Archbishop Anthony Soter Fernandez, Archbishop Emeritus of Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Archbishop Renato Corti, Archbishop Emeritus of Novara Italy
Archbishop Sebastian Koto Khoarai, Bishop Emeritus of Mohale’s Hoek Lesotho
Father Ernest Simoni, presbytery of the Archdiocese of Shkodrë-Pult, Scutari – Albania.

Source: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/10/09...sistory/1263940

Twenty-eighth Sunday – Oct 9, 2016
Liturgical Reflections

II Kgs 5:14-17; II Tm 2:8-13; Lk 17:11-19

In a little Church, there were the father and mother of a young man killed in a military battle. One day, they came to the pastor and told him they wanted to give a monetary gift as a memorial to their son who died in battle. The pastor said, "That's a wonderful gesture on your part." He asked if it was okay to tell the congregation, and they said that it was. The next Sunday he told the congregation of the gift given in memory of the dead son. On the way home from Church, another couple was driving down the highway when the father said to his wife, "Why don't we give a gift because of our son?" And his wife said, "But our son didn't die in any conflict! Our son is still alive!" Her husband replied, "That's exactly my point! That's all the more reason we ought to give in thanks to God." We too often build fences around forgiveness, faith, duty, and gratitude. In passages like this one, Jesus encourages us to remove those fences in order to achieve the possibilities of the Christian life.

Introduction: The central theme of today’s readings is gratitude - in particular, the expression of gratitude God expects from us. By describing Jesus' miraculous healing of the ten lepers from a physically devastating and socially isolating disease, today’s Gospel presents a God Who desires gratitude from us for the many blessings we receive from Him, and Who feels pain at our ingratitude. Naaman, the Syrian Military General in the first reading, was an outcast not only because of his illness; he was also a non-Israelite. But he returned to thank the Prophet Elisha for the cure of his leprosy, and as a sign of his gratitude transferred his allegiance to the God of Israel. St. Paul, in the second reading, advises Timothy to be grateful to God even in his physical sufferings and amid the dangers associated with spreading the Word of God, because God will always be faithful to His people. Today’s Gospel story tells us of a single non-Jewish leper (a “Samaritan heretic”), who returned to thank Jesus for healing him, while the nine other lepers went their way, perhaps under the false impression that healing was their right as God’s chosen people. They did not seem to feel indebted to Jesus or to God for the singular favor they had received. Instead, they hurried off to obtain a health certificate from the priests. “Where are the other nine?” Jesus asked the Samaritan leper and the crowd. “Did only one come back to say 'thank you?'” Today’s readings also remind us that Faith and healing go hand in hand, as do Faith and reconciliation. It was Faith that prompted Naaman to plunge himself into the waters of the Jordan River, and it was Faith in Jesus which prompted the lepers to present themselves first to Jesus and then to the priests. Finally, the readings demonstrate God's love for all peoples, including the Samaritans (whom the Israelites hated), and the pagans, Israel's enemies whom Naaman represented.

First reading, 2 Kings 5:14-17: describes a vivid expression of thanksgiving (hodah) made by the pagan Naaman, the army commander of the King of Aram, (in present-day Syria; its capital was Damascus), at his healing from leprosy through the power of Yahweh. When the prophet Elisha refused to accept Naaman’s costly gifts as reward for the healing, the grateful Naaman asked the prophet’s permission to take two mule-loads of earth with him from Yahweh’s land of Israel, so that when he got back to Damascus, he could place an altar for Yahweh on the soil, and so pray to Yahweh on the soil of Israel. Most people at that time had a crude, physical and territorial notion of Divinity. It was just understood that one god governed the land of Aram, and another god held sway over the territory of Israel, and so on. If you wanted to worship the God of Israel in another country, you had to take some of Israel's soil with you, dump it on the ground in the other country and stand on it. That way, you would "be in Israel," and so could worship Israel's God. The grateful Naaman promised that he would accept Yahweh as his only God and offer holocausts to Him in thanksgiving for the healing.

Second Reading, 2 Timothy 2:8-13: In the Church at Ephesus, Timothy held an office that would evolve into that of a Bishop. Paul, a senior Apostle now in prison, loved his young, one-time missionary companion and friend of long standing. Today's passage is part of Paul's encouragement to Timothy. Paul tells Timothy that he willingly accepts his suffering --"even to the point of chains, like a criminal” – as a grateful Apostle of Jesus, "for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, together with eternal glory"(vv 9, 10). Part of the Christian life-experience includes the physical sufferings and dangers associated with spreading the Word of God [1 Cor. 15:31; 2 Cor. 4:8-11]. Paul reminds us that, “even if we are unfaithful, God will remain faithful;” and, hence, we must be grateful to God, even in our sufferings. “I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ for all of you.”(Rom 1:8)

Exegesis: Leprosy as God’s punishment: Jesus was on the border between Galilee and Samaria where He was met by a band of ten lepers, including both Jews and Samaritans who were drawn together by their common misery and who ignored their traditional enmity. Biblical leprosy rarely included Hansen’s disease (leprosy proper). It was mostly skin diseases like ringworm, psoriasis, leukoderma, and vitiligo. The suffering of lepers in Biblical times was chiefly due to the way they were treated by the religious society of the day (Interpreter’s Bible). They were deemed unclean, unfit to be counted among a people who considered themselves “a kingdom of priests, a holy nation” (Ex 19:6). “Leprosy” was a terrible disease because its victims were separated from their families and society. Lepers were treated as sinners who were being punished by God with a contagious disease. The punishment given to Miriam (the complaining sister of Moses in Numbers 12:9-10), to Gehazi (the greedy servant of the prophet Elisha: “The leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever"-II Kings 5: 27) and to King Uzziah (for burning incense in the Temple, a right reserved for priests, Chronicles 26:19), supported this belief that leprosy was God’s punishment for sins.

Mosaic restrictions on lepers: The Mosaic Law, as given in Leviticus 13: 44-46, demands that a) the priest shall declare the leper unclean, b) the leper shall keep his garments rent and his head bare, c) he shall muffle his beard and he shall cry out, 'Unclean, unclean,' and d) he shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp. The Book of Numbers (5:2-3) commands the Israelites "to put out of the camp everyone who is leprous." Over 3000 words in Leviticus (chapters 13-14), govern the inspection of suspected lepers, their isolation, and the procedure for declaring the healed leper clean. As a general rule, when a leper was healed, he had to go to the local priest to confirm that he was now clean and was permitted to mix with the general public.

The parallels: The Fathers of the Church note three parallels between the Gospel story and the story of Naaman, the Gentile who was also healed of leprosy. First, both Naaman and the Samaritan leper were foreigners who sought healing from a Godly Jew. Second, both were ordered to perform a small, seemingly irrelevant action. Elisha told Naaman to bathe in the river Jordan seven times. Jesus told the ten lepers to show themselves to the priest who could certify a healing. In both stories, healing took place only after they left His presence to obey. Third, both Naaman and the Samaritan returned to praise God.

The Samaritan hero: A Samaritan is presented as the model of faith and gratitude. Luke was himself a Gentile, a foreigner and so he delights in recounting stories of foreigners whom God has blessed. A Samaritan is the hero of this episode. The thanks and praise of the Samaritan was a natural response to the free and undeserved mercy of God. The Samaritan knew that he was in the right place at the right time, and such an opportunity might never occur again for him. The Samaritan had not earned the kindness of God. He simply asked for it--and it was freely given. He knew he couldn't earn it; he was an outcast, a Samaritan. Having accepted God's grace, thanks and praise was his natural response. Both the author of 2 Kings and the Evangelist Luke wanted to make an important theological point about outsiders. No story in all the Gospels so poignantly shows man's ingratitude. The lepers came to Jesus with desperate longing, and the merciful Lord cured them. But nine of them never came back to give thanks.

Ingratitude and gratitude: In both the Old Testament and the New Testaments, God laments over man’s ingratitude. “Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth, for the LORD speaks: Sons have I raised and reared, but they have disowned me! An ox knows its owner, and an ass, its master's manger; But Israel does not know, My people have not understood. Ah! Sinful nation, people laden with wickedness, evil race, corrupt children! They have forsaken the LORD, spurned the Holy One of Israel and apostatized” (Isaiah; 1: 2-4). “He came to what was his own, but his own people 7 did not accept him” (John 1:11). Hence, the Word of God invites us to be thankful. At the tomb of Lazarus Jesus raised his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you for hearing me” (John 11:41). St. Paul advises us: “Give thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father” (Ephesians 5: 20). “And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3: 17). Psalms 107:1 advises us: "Give thanks to the LORD Who is good, Whose love endures forever!" The medieval Christian mystic, Meister Eckhart, suggests that if the only prayer we say in our lifetime is "Thank-You," that would suffice.

Life Messages: 1) We need to learn to be thankful to God and to others. Often we are ungrateful to God. Although we receive so much from Him, we often take it for granted, without appreciating His gifts. We allow the negatives of our lives to hide from ourselves the blessings we have received -- minor negatives like some health problems, financial worries, conflict with a neighbor or co-worker or spouse. Besides, we are often thankful only when we compare ourselves with less fortunate people. In times of need, we pray with desperate intensity; but as time passes we forget God. Many of us fail to offer a grace before meals or allot a few minutes of the day for family prayer. God gave us his only Son, but we seldom give Him a word of thanks. Often we are ungrateful to our parents and consider them a nuisance, although in the past we were dependent on them for literally everything. Similarly, we owe a great debt of gratitude to our friends, teachers, doctors, pastors--but we often fail to thank them. Hence, in the future, let us be filled with daily thanksgiving to God and to others for the countless gifts we have received. Let us show our gratitude to our forgiving God by forgiving others, and to a loving God by radiating His love, mercy and compassion to others.

2) We need to celebrate the Holy Eucharist as the supreme act of thanksgiving: The Greek word “Eucharist” means profoundly religious and thoroughly spiritual “thanksgiving.” Thanksgiving is the attitude we should adopt in worship. When we celebrate Holy Mass together, we are thanking God for the great gift of His Son whose sacrifice formed us into the People of God. We thank God for the gift of the Spirit, through Whom we bring the presence of the Lord to others. Saying thanks to God together with the parish community, sharing our time, talents and material blessings in the parish and sharing the Heavenly Bread of Thanksgiving, the Holy Eucharist, are the simple forms of thanksgiving we can offer every Sunday in response to God's blessings.

3) Let us realize the truth that we all need healing from our spiritual leprosy. Although we may not suffer from physical leprosy, we may suffer from the "spiritual leprosy" of sin which makes us unclean. Jesus is our Savior who wants to heal us from this leprosy of sin. Since Jesus is not afraid to touch our deepest impurities, let us not hide them. Just as the lepers cried out to Jesus for healing, let us also ask Him to heal us from the spiritual leprosy of sins including impurity, injustice, hatred and prejudice.

Winston Churchill loved to tell the story of the little boy who fell off a pier into deep ocean water. An older sailor, heedless of the great danger to himself, dove into the stormy water, struggled with the boy, and finally, exhausted, brought him to safety. Two days later the boy’s mother came with him to the same pier, seeking the sailor who rescued her son. Finding him, she asked, "You dove into the ocean to bring my boy out?" "I did," he replied. The mother quickly demanded, "Then where’s his hat?"

(Homilies of Fr. Anthony Kadavil)

Source: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/10/04...9,_2016/1262737

Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 469

Reading 1 (Gal 5:18-25)

Brothers and sisters:
If you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry,
sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy,
outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness,
dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,
drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh
with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6)

R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

Alleluia (Jn 10:27)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 11:42-46)
The Lord said:
“Woe to you Pharisees!
You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb,
but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.
These you should have done, without overlooking the others.
Woe to you Pharisees!
You love the seat of honor in synagogues
and greetings in marketplaces.
Woe to you!
You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.”

Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply,
“Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too.”
And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law!
You impose on people burdens hard to carry,
but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”

Canonization ceremony this Sunday ...

Jose Sanchez del Rio: Hero for Christ the King



Our young saint lived in tumultuous times. The socialist government of Mexico was waging a bloody war against the Catholic Church, and fervent Catholics known as the Cristeros rose up to defend Christ the King. Their heroic resistance, La Cristiada, began in 1926.

Background

The Mexican constitution of 1917 -- socialist at its core -- sparked this terrible conflict. It put the Church under the strict control of the State: it regulated Catholic preaching, allotted a fixed number of priests per state, dictated Mass attendance, baptisms, weddings, the Sacraments, and tithing. Even the ringing of Church bells was hampered, and prelates caught disobeying these unjust laws were exiled or killed.

The president at the time, Venustiano Carranza, did not immediately enforce the anti-Catholic laws, but showed temporary tolerance. When Plutarco Elías Calles took power in 1920, however, the new constitution was brutally enforced. Calles sent more than two hundred priests into exile, along with a number of archbishops and bishops.

The worst persecution was unleashed by the iniquitous Ley Calles (Calles Law) of July 31, 1926. It prohibited the practice of the Catholic religion in public. All education was removed from the care of the Church and put under direct State control. Religious vows were illegal. Monasteries and convents were dissolved, and religious could no longer use habits. Church property was confiscated.

Moreover, it was illegal for anyone, especially priests, to speak out against the government or the constitution. Priests wishing to exercise their ministry had to ask the State for permission. Frequently, this “permission” was not granted. Finally, those who did not obey these immoral laws were fined or imprisoned. A “serious” or repeated offense often meant execution.

Cristero Uprising

In this turmoil, God rose up a strong reaction: the Cristeros. Among these Catholics we find the heroic figure of Jose Sanchez del Rio. The young saint was born on March 28, 1913 in Sahuayo, Michoacan. His parents, Macario Sanchez Sanchez and Maria del Rio Arteaga, had three older sons, two of whom joined the Cristeros.

Jose witnessed the horrible persecution of the Church and, following his brothers, decided to join the Cristiada movement. He was so young, however, that his parents were reluctant. After much pleading and a visit to a Cristero officer, don Macario and doña Maria gave Jose their parental blessing. Jose was overjoyed, but also aware of the suffering he would endure. Before departing, he declared: “For Jesus Christ, I will do everything.”

Jose and a friend, Trinidad Flores, set off to a Cristero camp. After a long journey they presented themselves to the officer in charge and were given tasks: carry water, prepare the fire, serve food and coffee, wash dishes, feed the horses, and clean rifles.

Jose enthusiastically went about the chores, and the soldiers quickly became fond of him. He fervently attended daily Mass and prayed the Rosary with the soldiers every evening. Jose learned how to play the bugle for battle, and was put under the care of General Luis Guizar Morfin who, with the intention of protecting the lad, gave him the duty of standard bearer.

How He Saves the General

Outnumbered and outgunned, the Cristeros used guerrilla tactics over pitched battles. On February 6, 1928, the Cristeros ambushed the enemy, between Cotija and Jiquilpan. When the order was given to retreat, Federal machine gun fire opened up on their position, ripping through the rocks that gave the Cristeros cover. Jose saw the General’s horse drop dead beneath him. Although the General himself was not seriously injured, Jose rushed over, jumped off his own horse and urged him to take it:

“General, here's my horse!"

The general replied: “Run boy, run! Go!"

But Jose insisted: "I am young; you are more important than me! Viva Cristo Rey!”

Overtaken by the boy's sacrifice, the general accepted the horse and fled. José, refusing to run, stayed behind to provide covering fire for his fellow Cristeros, but he soon ran out of ammunition and was captured by the Federals. They pushed, hit, kicked and insulted him while uttering foul blasphemies. Another young boy, Lorenzo “El Escurridizo,” was captured as well. Their execution was interrupted by a federal general who asked the two boys to join the anti-Catholic side. Jose answered without hesitation:

“You have captured me because I ran out of ammo, but I have not given up!” Surprised by the answer, the general threw Jose and Lorenzo into prison at Cotija.

Behind Bars Yet Always Faithful

In his prison cell, Jose remembered the advice of his dear mother: have complete confidence in the Mother of God, Our Lady of Guadalupe.

As the early morning sun shone through the tiny window in Jose’s cell, he wrote a letter to his mother dated February 6, 1928.



On February 7, Jose and Lorenzo were transferred from the prison in Cotija to the Catholic Church in Sahuayo -- where Jose was baptized -- which had been turned into a stable for animals by the impious federals. Horse manure, military supplies, empty beer bottles, and food scraps covered the floor. Soldiers vandalized the altar, using its wood to start a fire. The church, once beautiful, was now disfigured beyond recognition.

News of Jose's imprisonment spread rapidly. Attempts were made to obtain his release, but the soldiers refused to let him go. Jose’s godfather, Rafael Picazo, a local political boss in Sahuayo, visited him. This man, however, was a federal sympathizer and he slyly attempted to convince Jose to attend military school and become an officer in the Federal Army. Jose was shocked by the proposal and replied:

“I'd rather die first! I will not go with those monkeys! Never with those persecutors of the Church! If you let me go, tomorrow I will return to the Cristeros! Viva Cristo Rey! Viva La Virgen de Guadalupe!”

Zeal for the House of God

Jose was outraged by the sacrilegious behavior of his captors who released fighting cocks inside the church, and had them fight in the sacred sanctuary. The colorful fighting birds roamed freely, perching on sacred objects, including the tabernacle. But as soon as Jose saw them, he decided to stop the profanation of the altar. Disregarding certain reprisal from the guards, he grabbed the roosters and cracked their necks one by one.

After he finished them off, Jose washed his hands with a rag, knelt down and prayed devoutly with a strong and loud voice. He then went calmly to bed. Of this episode, author Luis Laurean Cervantes remarks, "As Christ had cleaned the vendors out of the Temple, he [Jose] had cleaned it of fighting cocks."

The next morning, when Picazo saw what Jose had done, he was enraged. Picazo wrenched Jose up by the arm and screamed:

“Don't you realize what you did? Don't you know the cost of a rooster?!”

Jose replied: “The only thing I know is that the house of God is not a corral nor a barnyard! I am willing to endure everything. Shoot me now so that I can go before Our Lord!”

Lorenzo, who was also in the church-prison, grew scared, but Jose counseled him to remain strong, and spoke about Christ, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and the stories of Anacleto González Flores and Father Miguel Pro -- both martyrs.

"Viva Cristo Rey!"

On February 10, Picazo made up his mind to execute his godson. The order to kill Jose Sanchez del Rio was issued at six o'clock and the execution itself was scheduled for eight-thirty.

Jose was allowed to write a final letter to his family, which he did. Thirty minutes before the execution, Jose’s aunt Magdalena brought him dinner. At her request, a priest hid the Blessed Sacrament in the food package and Jose secretly received Holy Communion for the last time.

Then Jose bid his aunt farewell: “We will see each other in Heaven soon.” Jose was about to cry, but he chocked back his tears because he didn't want to weep in front of a woman. "...take care of my mother. Tell her not to rush [to see me] as I will have already won Heaven."

Finally, the time for the execution arrived. Picazo wanted the execution to be done “quietly” without a formal firing squad. Instead, the federals cut the soles of Jose’s feet with a knife. They brutally beat him over and over, but with each cut and each savage blow, he shouted: “Viva Cristo Rey!"

His Way of the Cross

The guards made Jose walk ten blocks, barefoot and bleeding, along a rocky path to the cemetery were he would be buried. Along the way, the soldiers screamed blasphemies with satanic hatred, praising the godless government, trying to pressure the boy to deny his faith: “You better learn your lesson!" "We will kill you!" "What a proud and arrogant boy!” they said.

Jose’s only response was: “Viva Cristo Rey!" and "Viva La Virgen de Guadalupe!”

Already at the cemetery, Jose asked: “Where is my plot?” as he did not want any of the troops to touch him. One of the soldiers suddenly swung his rifle around, breaking Jose’s jaw with the butt. Without hesitation, the soldiers furiously stabbed him in the neck, chest and the back with knives. At every stab, Jose proclaimed the name of Christ the King at top of his lungs, “Viva Cristo Rey!”

Jose was dying slowly. But he still mustered enough energy to defy the soldiers, saying: “You have done a lot to me, but God still allows me [to continue]! But when I can no longer speak, if I wiggle my feet, that means, 'Viva Cristo Rey and the Virgin of Guadalupe!'"

A federal officer approached the dying and bleeding boy on the ground and asked in a sarcastic tone: “What should we tell your father?” Jose answered: “That we will see each other in Heaven! Viva Cristo Rey! and the Virgin of Guadalupe.”

The Crown of Martyrdom

Overtaken by anger, the officer grabbed his gun and shot Jose behind the ear. Jose Sánchez del Río won the crown of martyrdom.

The federals tossed the boy’s body into the gave, shoveled some dirt over it and left. Luis Gomez, the undertaker, waited for the federals to leave and immediately closed the gates of the cemetery. He ran to the house of Father Ignacio Sanchez, Jose's uncle, and asked the priest to give the martyr a Christian burial. Luis and the priest hurried back to the cemetery. They took Jose’s mangled body out of the grave and wrapped it in a blanket while the priest prayed the prayers for the dead.

Soon, everyone knew about the boy-martyr. People started to pray to him. His heroic life quickly became a model across Mexico.

The body of the martyr was buried in that same cemetery until 1945. After Fr. Miguel Serrato repaired the local church of the Sacred Heart, blessed Jose’s remains were transferred to its shrine where other Cristero martyrs are interred. Finally, in 1996 his remains were moved to the parish church where he was held captive. His relics are kept in a wooden coffin in the baptistery, the same place where he was held captive. He was beatified on June 22, 2004, and in October 2016, he will be canonized.

Le us imitate the virtues of this young saint: fortitude, valor, faith, holy audacity, hope and charity. Let us pray for the grace to have the same enthusiasm to defend the law and the rights of God that are under attack today, and to endure all hardships for the greater glory of God and Holy Mother Church.

Source: https://www.tfpstudentaction.org/blog/jose-...christ-the-king

Friday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 471

Reading 1 (Eph 1:11-14)

Brothers and sisters:
In Christ we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ.
In him you also, who have heard the word of truth,
the Gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him,
were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
which is the first installment of our inheritance
toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 12-13)

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Alleluia (Ps 33:22)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May your kindness, LORD, be upon us;
who have put our hope in you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 12:1-7)

At that time:
So many people were crowding together
that they were trampling one another underfoot.
Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples,
“Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.

“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness
will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors
will be proclaimed on the housetops.
I tell you, my friends,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but after that can do no more.
I shall show you whom to fear.
Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows.”

We do not teach a wisdom of this world.





There is an interesting play of events appearing to be going on between the angel Gabriel’s visit to Zacharias and Gabriel’s visit to Mary. Gabriel appears where the ark “was” to announce the birth of one who will prepare the way of the Lord; Gabriel appears to where the ark truly” is” so that the announcement is fulfilled. “How is it that the mother of my Lord would come to me?”

When the angel appears to Zacharias, Zacharias must be scared because the angel says fear not.

When the angel appears to Mary there is no fear, as if visits from angels was a common occurrence, but he also addresses her with the “Hail” reserved for royalty and calls her full of grace or perfected in grace.

Hail to the giberah , the mother of the King in the line of David. Like Bathsheba and Solomon before her; Christ has placed a chair for his mother at the right side of his throne. (The Jews are the chosen people in order to teach us the eternal mysteries)Bathsheba became an intercessor for the King son, therefore Mary is the Mother of those who have been baptized into Christ Jesus and have been made heirs to the promise of Abraham in the kingdom. She has the heart of the King as only a mother could and Christ will rule over the house of Judah forever.

The QUEEN stood on thy right hand, in gilded clothing; surrounded with variety. 10Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thy ear: AND FORGET THY PEOPLE AND THY FATHER'S HOUSE. 11And the king shall greatly desire thy beauty; for he is the Lord thy God, and HIM THEY SHALL ADORE. 12And the daughters of Tyre with gifts, yea, all the rich among the people, SHALL ENTREAT THY COUNTENANCE. 13All the glory of the king's daughter is within in golden borders, 14clothed round about with varieties. AFTER HER SHALL VIRGINS BE BROUGHT TO THE KING: her neighbours shall be brought to thee. 15They shall be brought with gladness and rejoicing: THEY SHALL BE BROUGHT INTO THE TEMPLE OF THE KING. 16Instead of thy fathers, SONS ARE BORN TO THEE: THOU SHALT MAKE THEM PRINCES OVER ALL THE EARTH. 17THEY SHALL REMEMBER THY NAME THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS. THEREFORE SHALL PEOPLE PRAISE THEE FOR EVER; YEA, FOR EVER AND EVER.

HE HAS DONE GREAT THINGS TO ME…ALL GENERATIONS SHALL CALL ME BLESSED

She shall be called blessed by all generations to come. Full of grace or perfected in grace, both interpretations do not allow for sin. The ark could not be touched by man, because the ark could not be touched by sin.

.” Origen, Homily 1 {A.D. 244). “This Virgin Mother of the Only-begotten of God, is called Mary, worthy of God, immaculate of the immaculate, one of the one.

When the angel tells Zacharias that his Old and unfertile wife will bare a son, he doubts the message and the angel has to support his faith telling him he is Gabriel that stands in the presence of God and do to his doubt he makes him mute.

GREEK EX. But as she might be accustomed to these visions, the Evangelist ascribes her agitation not to the vision, but to the things told her, saying, she was troubled at his words. Now observe both the modesty and wisdom of the Virgin; the soul, and at the same time the voice. When she heard the joyful words, she pondered them in her mind, and neither openly resisted through unbelief, nor forthwith lightly complied; avoiding equally the inconstancy of Eve, and the insensibility of Zacharias. Hence it is said, And she cast in her mind what manner of salutation this was, it is not said conception for as yet she knew not the vastness of the mystery. But the salutation, was there aught of passion in it as from a man to a virgin? or was it not of God, seeing that he makes mention of God, saying, The Lord is with you.

He will be a sign of contradiction and a sword will pierce your heart so that the thoughts of many may be revealed.

GREEK EX. As if he said, I came not to deceive you, nay rather to bring down deliverance from deception; I came not to rob you of your inviolable virginity, but to open a dwelling-place for the Author and Guardian of your purity, I am not a servant of the Devil but the ambassador of Him that destroys the Devil. I am come to form a marriage treaty, not to devise plots. So far then was he from allowing her to be harassed by distracting thoughts, lest he should be counted a servant unfaithful to his trust.

When the angel tells Mary she will bare a son, she says how can this be since I know not man? This is not a doubt in the omnipotence of God but an enquiry into how the process will come about. It would be foolish to assume that Mary does not understand the process of procreation and she is a young woman who would have no problems giving birth naturally. From the earliest traditions of the church we find understanding that Mary dedicated herself to God as a temple virgin, so asking how can this be I know not man is answered with the perfect and only answer. The birth shall be supernatural; the spirit of God shall overshadow you IN THE SAME WAY THE ARK WAS OVERSHADOWED BY THE SHEKINAH CLOUD. Shekinah means the dwelling of God. God will dwell in her. What God touches he makes Holy. The heavenly realities are infinitely greater than the types.

AMBROSE; It was Mary’s part neither to refuse belief in the Angel, nor too hastily take to herself the divine message. How subdued her answer is, compared with the words of the Priest. Then said Mary to the Angel, How shall this be? She says, How shall this be? He answers, Whereby shall I know this? He refuses to believe that which he says he does not know, and seeks as it were still further authority for belief. She avows herself willing to do that which she doubts not will be done, but how, she is anxious to know. Mary had read, Behold, she shall conceive and bear a son. She believed therefore that it should be but how it was to take place she had never read, for even to so great a prophet this had not been revealed. So great a mystery was not to be divulged by the mouth of man, but of an Angel.

GREG NYSS. Hear the chaste words of the Virgin. The Angel tells her she shall bear a son, but she rests upon her virginity, deeming her inviolability a more precious thing than the Angel’s declaration. Hence she says, Seeing that I know not a man.

The womb of Mary is the dwelling of God; perfect humility that will even become bread for spiritual nourishment; true manna. There is no doubt therefore there is no reprimand and enforcement of faith that had occurred with Zacharias; he was made mute.

CHRYS. As if he said, Look not for the order of nature in things which transcend and overpower nature. Do you say, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? Nay rather, shall it happen to you for this very reason, that you have never known a husband. For if you had, you would not have been thought worthy of the mystery, not that marriage is unholy, but virginity more excellent. It became the common Lord of all both to take part with us, and to differ with us in His nativity; for the being born from the womb, He shared in common with us, but in that He was born without cohabitation, He was exalted far above us.

Zacharias entered into the Holy of Holies where the ark used to be kept that carried the manna, Aarons staff that budded and the Ten Commandments and the angel appeared to him.

The angel appeared to Mary who was overshadowed by the glory of God so that she would carry the true manna, the true high priest and the word made flesh. She became the gateway from the Old Covenant to the New, and the East gate that God has entered and shall be shut forever. Only the staff that budded, the Commandments and the manna were ever placed in the ark. Only Christ will ever reside in the true ark.

The ark became the woman, the woman gave birth to Christ, the Eucharist, the High priest and the word whose flesh is the church. Since Christ’s flesh is also Mary’s flesh, Mary (Woman what is there between me and thee) as the mother of the church she is inseparable from the church. The apostle whom he loved took her as his own. All generations shall call me blessed; all beloved disciples. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. He shall crush your head, she shall crush your head. She shall have enmity against the devil and her seed also. If I have all faith and no charity I am nothing.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it: 26That he might SANCTIFY IT, CLEANSING IT BY THE LAVER OF WATER IN THE WORD OF LIFE: (Baptism in Christ Jesus) 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any; such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish. 28So also ought men to love their wives AS THEIR OWN BODIES. (my flesh is real food my blood is real drink. The bread that we break, is it not participation in the body of Christ?) He that loveth his wife, loveth himself. 29For no man ever hated HIS OWN FLESH; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, as also CHRIST DOTH THE CHURCH: 30Because we are members of his body, OF HIS FLESH, and of his bones. 31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh. 32THIS IS A GREAT SACRAMENT; but I speak in Christ and in the church.

“I desire therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men.”

“Now a mediator is not of one: but God is one.”

He nourisheth His flesh which is His mother, He nourishes His flesh which is His church. He nourisheth His flesh which is the veil. God does not conform to time and neither does His eternal mysteries. Mary was saved by the cross at the moment of conception. If she was not then Christ would not have been a perfect undefiled sacrifice. “I was born in iniquities in my mother’s womb.” “Who can make unclean seed clean?”

Through the flesh of Christ the veil, Jacobs ladder, His church is salvation. The church is the pillar and foundation of truth.

A NEW AND LIVING WAY WHICH HE HATH DEDICATED FOR US THROUGH THE VEIL, THAT IS TO SAY, HIS FLESH, (His Church)” present it to himself a glorious church.”

The veil is the mystical body of Christ, the veil His church that presents the fruits of Calvary (The showbread must always be placed before me) from the rising of the sun unto its setting in front of the eyes of the Father before he sees the sins of the world. The veil has been torn asunder the Mass is celebrated from earth to heaven with the angels and saints in heaven.

No one entered the meeting tent unless washed; the bride is purified, Baptism.

No one entered the Holy of Holies unless they are covered in the blood of the sacrifice; the marriage is consummated, the Eucharist.

And the temple of God was opened in heaven: AND THE ARK OF HIS TESTAMENT WAS SEEN IN HIS TEMPLE, and there were lightnings, and voices, and an earthquake, and great hail. And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars:

ARISE O LORD INTO THY RESTING PLACE, THOU AND THE ARK WHICH YOU HAVE SANCTIFIED.

Gregory the Wonder Worker (c. 213–c. 270) "Let us chant the melody that has been taught us by the inspired harp of David, and say, ‘Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy sanctuary.’ For the Holy Virgin is in truth an ark, wrought with gold both within and without, that has received the whole treasury of the sanctuary" (Homily on the Annunciation to the Holy Virgin Mary).

JEROME; And it is well said, Full of grace, for to others, grace comes in part; into Mary at once the fullness of grace wholly infused itself. She truly is full of grace through whom has been poured forth upon every creature the abundant rain of the Holy Spirit. But already He was with the Virgin Who sent the angel to the Virgin. The Lord preceded His messenger, for He could not be confined by place Who dwells in all places. Whence it follows, The Lord is with you.

BASIL; Hence also, St. Paul says, God sent forth his Son, born not (by a woman) but of a woman. For the words by a woman might convey only a mere passing expression of birth, but when it is said, of a woman, there is openly declared a communion of nature between the son and the parent.

But you are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people: that you may declare his virtues, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

But you are come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of angels, 23And to the church of the firstborn, who are written in the heavens, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect, 24And to Jesus the mediator of the new testament, and to the sprinkling of blood which speaketh better than that of Abel

And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,16After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:17That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.18Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world

The spirit and the bride say come.

Feast of Saint Luke, Evangelist
Lectionary: 661



Reading 1 (2 Tm 4:10-17b)

Beloved:
Demas, enamored of the present world,
deserted me and went to Thessalonica,
Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
Luke is the only one with me.
Get Mark and bring him with you,
for he is helpful to me in the ministry.
I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas,
the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments.

Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm;
the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
You too be on guard against him,
for he has strongly resisted our preaching.

At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf,
but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them!
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18)

R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Alleluia (Jn 15:16)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 10:1-9)

The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter,
first say, ‘Peace to this household.’
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’”




This post has been edited by khool: Oct 18 2016, 03:11 PM

1 John 1:7-9 (New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition)

... "but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." ...

Romans 4:7-8 (New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition)

... “Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin.” ...

Psalm 32:5 (New Revised Standard Version: Catholic Edition)

... "Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin." ...

Ephesians 5:3-7 (New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition)

... "But fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints. Entirely out of place is obscene, silly, and vulgar talk; but instead, let there be thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person, or one who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be associated with them." ...

Matthew 12:31-32 (New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition)

... "Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." ...


1 John 1:9 (New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition)

... "If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." ...

Colossians 1:22-23 (New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition)

... "he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him—
provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard,
which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel." ...

Matthew 6:15 (New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition)

... "but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ...