Mexican State Legislators Seek to Define Personhood as Being from Conception
Amendment to constitution would eliminate exceptions in state's abortion ban
Vatican cardinal delivers warning to Lambeth
Cautions Anglican bishops against spiritual Alzheimer's
Archbishop of Liverpool scraps plans for Latin Mass parish
'I have decided not to go ahead with the change'
Obama Worse than Clintons on Abortion Says National Right to Life Leader: Interview
"I fear for our nation, should he become President"
Preach the Gospel, go to jail
City of Modesto sued for banning Christian preacher from public plaza
Iraqi PM to discuss Christian situation with Pope
Steps being taken to spread the value of tolerance
Venezuela Church-state clash grows
Chavez launches political ploy to push socialist agenda
World's first IVF baby marks 30th birthday
Test tube experiment opened the door for IVF industry
Sister Barbara Markey now wants to pull theft plea
73-year-old sentenced to three to five years for theft
Anti-Catholicism not dead yet in United States
Tolerance has co-existed uneasily with prejudice
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Professor Carries Out His Threat To Desecrate Eucharist?
Yes, the sad little cracker has met its undignified end, so stop pestering me. The cracker, the koran, and another surprise entry have been violated and are gone. You'll have to wait until tomorrow for the details, what little of them there are. I must quickly apologize to all you good Catholics who were hoping to attend Mass, since you can't anymore — I have been told many hundreds of times now that cracker abuse violates your right to practice your religion. I guess you'll have to adapt. Secular humanism is a good alternative, if you aren't already flocking to join the Mormons....It's amazing to me that secular liberals practice and preach more hate and intolerance than any other group, it seems. Why does any university allow such hateful people to influence the minds of the young? And why would parents permit it?
This man needs our prayers. I wonder if he'll probably need protection from "devout Mohammendans" for desecrating the Koran?
Gospel for Thursday, 16th Week in Ordinary Time
Optional Memorial of St. Sharbel (Charbel) Makhloof, priest
Old Calendar: St. Christina, virgin and martyr
From: Matthew 13:10-17
Parable of the Sower (Continuation)
[10] Then the disciples came and said to Him (Jesus), "Why do You speak to them in parables?" [11] And He answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given. [12] For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. [13] This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. [14] With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: `You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive. [15] For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.'
[16] But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. [17] Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."
_______________________________
Commentary:
10-13. The kind of Kingdom Jesus was going to establish did not suit the Judaism of His time, largely because of the Jew's nationalistic, earthbound idea of the Messiah to come. In His preaching Jesus takes account of the different outlooks of His listeners, as can be seen in the attitudes described in the parable of the sower. If people were well disposed to Him, the enigmatic nature of the parable would stimulate their interest; and Jesus later did give His many disciples a fuller explanation of its meaning; but there was no point in doing this if people were not ready to listen.
Besides, parables--as indeed any type of comparison or analogy--are used to reveal or explain something which is not easy to understand, as was the case with the supernatural things Jesus was explaining. One has to shade one's eyes to see things if the sun is too bright; otherwise, one is blinded and sees nothing. Similarly, parables help to shade supernatural brightness to allow the listener to grasp meaning without being blinded by it.
These verses also raise a very interesting question: how can divine revelation and grace produce such widely differing responses in people? What is at work here is the mystery of divine grace--which is an unmerited gift--and of man's response to this grace. What Jesus says here underlines man's responsibility to be ready to accept God's grace and to respond to it. Jesus' reference to Isaiah (Matthew 13:14-15) is a prophecy of that hardness of heart which is a punishment meted out to those who resist grace.
These verses need to be interpreted in the light of three points: 1) Jesus Christ loved everyone, including people of His own home town: He gave His life in order to save all men; 2) the parable is a literary form designed to get ideas across clearly: its ultimate aim is to teach, not to mislead or obscure; 3) lack of appreciation for divine grace is something blameworthy, which does merit punishment; however, Jesus did not come directly to punish anyone, but rather to save everyone.
12. Jesus is addressing His disciples and explaining to them that, precisely because they have faith in Him and want to have a good grasp of His teaching, they will be given a deeper understanding of divine truths. But those who do not "follow Him" (cf. note on Matthew 4:18-22) will later lose interest in the things of God and will grow ever blinder: it is as if the little they have is being taken away from them.
This verse also helps us understand the meaning of the parable of the sower, a parable which gives a wonderful explanation of the supernatural economy of divine grace: God gives grace, and man freely responds to that grace. The result is that those who respond to grace generously receive additional grace and so grow steadily in grace and holiness; whereas those who reject God's gifts become closed up within themselves; through their selfishness and attachment to sin they eventually lose God's grace entirely. In this verse, then, our Lord gives a clear warning: with the full weight of His divine authority He exhorts us--without taking away our freedom--to act responsibly: the gifts God keeps sending us should yield fruit; we should make good use of the opportunities for Christian sanctification which are offered us in the course of our lives.
14-15. Only well-disposed people grasp the meaning of God's words. It is not enough just to hear them physically. In the course of Jesus' preaching the prophetic words of Isaiah come true once again.
However, we should not think that not wanting to hear or to understand was something exclusive to certain contemporaries of Jesus; each one of us is at times hard of hearing, hard-hearted and dull-minded in the presence of God's grace and saving word. Moreover, it is not enough to be familiar with the teaching of the Church: it is absolutely necessary to put the faith into practice, with all that that implies, morally and ascetically. Jesus was fixed to the wood of the Cross not only by nails and by the sins of certain Jews but also by our sins--sins committed centuries later but which afflicted the Sacred Humanity of Jesus Christ, who bore the burden of our sins. See the note on Mark 4:11-12.
16-17. In contrast with the closed attitude of many Jews who witnessed Jesus' life but did not believe in Him, the disciples are praised by our Lord for their docility to grace, their openness to recognizing Him as the Messiah and to accepting His teaching.
He calls His disciples blessed, happy. As He says, the prophets and just men and women of the Old Testament had for centuries lived in hope of enjoying one day the peace the future Messiah would bring, but they had died without experiencing this good fortune. Simeon, towards the end of his long life, was filled with joy on seeing the infant Jesus when He was presented in the temple: "He took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said, `Lord now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation'" (Luke 2:28-30). During our Lord's public life, His disciples were fortunate enough to see and be on close terms with Him; later they would recall that incomparable gift, and one of them would begin his first letter in these words: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life; [...] that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing this that our [or: your] joy may be complete (1 John 1:1-4).
This exceptional good fortune was, obviously, not theirs but of special merit: God planned it; it was He who decided that the time had come for the Old Testament prophecies to be fulfilled. In any event, God gives every soul opportunities to meet Him: each of us has to be sensitive enough to grasp them and not let them pass. There were many men and women in Palestine who saw and heard the incarnate Son of God but did not have the spiritual sensitivity to see in Him what the Apostles and disciples saw.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Old Calendar: St. Christina, virgin and martyr
From: Matthew 13:10-17
Parable of the Sower (Continuation)
[10] Then the disciples came and said to Him (Jesus), "Why do You speak to them in parables?" [11] And He answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given. [12] For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. [13] This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. [14] With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: `You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive. [15] For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.'
[16] But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. [17] Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."
_______________________________
Commentary:
10-13. The kind of Kingdom Jesus was going to establish did not suit the Judaism of His time, largely because of the Jew's nationalistic, earthbound idea of the Messiah to come. In His preaching Jesus takes account of the different outlooks of His listeners, as can be seen in the attitudes described in the parable of the sower. If people were well disposed to Him, the enigmatic nature of the parable would stimulate their interest; and Jesus later did give His many disciples a fuller explanation of its meaning; but there was no point in doing this if people were not ready to listen.
Besides, parables--as indeed any type of comparison or analogy--are used to reveal or explain something which is not easy to understand, as was the case with the supernatural things Jesus was explaining. One has to shade one's eyes to see things if the sun is too bright; otherwise, one is blinded and sees nothing. Similarly, parables help to shade supernatural brightness to allow the listener to grasp meaning without being blinded by it.
These verses also raise a very interesting question: how can divine revelation and grace produce such widely differing responses in people? What is at work here is the mystery of divine grace--which is an unmerited gift--and of man's response to this grace. What Jesus says here underlines man's responsibility to be ready to accept God's grace and to respond to it. Jesus' reference to Isaiah (Matthew 13:14-15) is a prophecy of that hardness of heart which is a punishment meted out to those who resist grace.
These verses need to be interpreted in the light of three points: 1) Jesus Christ loved everyone, including people of His own home town: He gave His life in order to save all men; 2) the parable is a literary form designed to get ideas across clearly: its ultimate aim is to teach, not to mislead or obscure; 3) lack of appreciation for divine grace is something blameworthy, which does merit punishment; however, Jesus did not come directly to punish anyone, but rather to save everyone.
12. Jesus is addressing His disciples and explaining to them that, precisely because they have faith in Him and want to have a good grasp of His teaching, they will be given a deeper understanding of divine truths. But those who do not "follow Him" (cf. note on Matthew 4:18-22) will later lose interest in the things of God and will grow ever blinder: it is as if the little they have is being taken away from them.
This verse also helps us understand the meaning of the parable of the sower, a parable which gives a wonderful explanation of the supernatural economy of divine grace: God gives grace, and man freely responds to that grace. The result is that those who respond to grace generously receive additional grace and so grow steadily in grace and holiness; whereas those who reject God's gifts become closed up within themselves; through their selfishness and attachment to sin they eventually lose God's grace entirely. In this verse, then, our Lord gives a clear warning: with the full weight of His divine authority He exhorts us--without taking away our freedom--to act responsibly: the gifts God keeps sending us should yield fruit; we should make good use of the opportunities for Christian sanctification which are offered us in the course of our lives.
14-15. Only well-disposed people grasp the meaning of God's words. It is not enough just to hear them physically. In the course of Jesus' preaching the prophetic words of Isaiah come true once again.
However, we should not think that not wanting to hear or to understand was something exclusive to certain contemporaries of Jesus; each one of us is at times hard of hearing, hard-hearted and dull-minded in the presence of God's grace and saving word. Moreover, it is not enough to be familiar with the teaching of the Church: it is absolutely necessary to put the faith into practice, with all that that implies, morally and ascetically. Jesus was fixed to the wood of the Cross not only by nails and by the sins of certain Jews but also by our sins--sins committed centuries later but which afflicted the Sacred Humanity of Jesus Christ, who bore the burden of our sins. See the note on Mark 4:11-12.
16-17. In contrast with the closed attitude of many Jews who witnessed Jesus' life but did not believe in Him, the disciples are praised by our Lord for their docility to grace, their openness to recognizing Him as the Messiah and to accepting His teaching.
He calls His disciples blessed, happy. As He says, the prophets and just men and women of the Old Testament had for centuries lived in hope of enjoying one day the peace the future Messiah would bring, but they had died without experiencing this good fortune. Simeon, towards the end of his long life, was filled with joy on seeing the infant Jesus when He was presented in the temple: "He took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said, `Lord now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation'" (Luke 2:28-30). During our Lord's public life, His disciples were fortunate enough to see and be on close terms with Him; later they would recall that incomparable gift, and one of them would begin his first letter in these words: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life; [...] that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing this that our [or: your] joy may be complete (1 John 1:1-4).
This exceptional good fortune was, obviously, not theirs but of special merit: God planned it; it was He who decided that the time had come for the Old Testament prophecies to be fulfilled. In any event, God gives every soul opportunities to meet Him: each of us has to be sensitive enough to grasp them and not let them pass. There were many men and women in Palestine who saw and heard the incarnate Son of God but did not have the spiritual sensitivity to see in Him what the Apostles and disciples saw.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Just for Today, July 24
Then the flesh that has been mortified shall triumph more than if it had always been pampered in delights. Then shall the mean habit shine, and fine clothing appear contemptible.
-Bk. I, ch. xxiv.
_______________
Someone had pitied the Carmelites for having to wear thick habits in hot weather: "In Heaven," said the Saint, "God will reward us for having worn thick and heavy habits for love of Him."
-Novissima Verba.
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
-Bk. I, ch. xxiv.
_______________
Someone had pitied the Carmelites for having to wear thick habits in hot weather: "In Heaven," said the Saint, "God will reward us for having worn thick and heavy habits for love of Him."
-Novissima Verba.
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
Thoughts and Counsels - July 24
Meditation for July 24, My Task
One of the most instructive accounts of the Gospel is the parable of the Sower. Jesus had often noticed the Palestinian countrymen going to their work with the plow on their back, or on the back of a donkey, driving before them, their oxen; or if it was the season when the fields had been plowed, He saw them sowing their seeds.
At sowing time, when the fruitful seed was confided to the earth, more than one farmer realizing that he could little afford to lose a harvest, because of voracious birds, or thistles sometimes more than three feet high, or torrential rains which might sweep over the planted fields, prayed to the Most High. And his prayer contained among other thoughts this queer petition: "Lord, our business is the red; Yours is the green," meaning, the toil which over turns clods of bright red earth is all our concern, but it is for You to make the wheat grow transforming this plot of ocher and brownish violet colored soil into green fields.
Here is a perfect description of my part in the tasks assigned to me, as well as God's part. It is up to me to exercise effort in pushing the plowshare, to cut the ground into furrows, narrow and straight and sometimes bloody; it is for God to make the grain grow, to crown my efforts with success, thirty, sixty, or even a hundred fold.
Therefore, I must not grow proud when I have succeeded. When the grain does not grow, I must not pity myself nor grow discouraged. I have done what I could, accomplished my task; fulfilled my role. Let God fulfill His as He understands it. He knows best what is good for me.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
At sowing time, when the fruitful seed was confided to the earth, more than one farmer realizing that he could little afford to lose a harvest, because of voracious birds, or thistles sometimes more than three feet high, or torrential rains which might sweep over the planted fields, prayed to the Most High. And his prayer contained among other thoughts this queer petition: "Lord, our business is the red; Yours is the green," meaning, the toil which over turns clods of bright red earth is all our concern, but it is for You to make the wheat grow transforming this plot of ocher and brownish violet colored soil into green fields.
Here is a perfect description of my part in the tasks assigned to me, as well as God's part. It is up to me to exercise effort in pushing the plowshare, to cut the ground into furrows, narrow and straight and sometimes bloody; it is for God to make the grain grow, to crown my efforts with success, thirty, sixty, or even a hundred fold.
Therefore, I must not grow proud when I have succeeded. When the grain does not grow, I must not pity myself nor grow discouraged. I have done what I could, accomplished my task; fulfilled my role. Let God fulfill His as He understands it. He knows best what is good for me.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Deo Gratias! Some St Stanislaus Board Members Reconciliations Announced
The Archdiocese of St. Louis issued the following statement on July 23, 2008:
We continue to pray for Marek Bozek and his followers, that they accept God's grace to repent and reconcile with Holy Mother Church.
More information at the Archdiocesan website:
* Q & A Regarding Reconciliation of Saint Stanislaus Board Members and Lawsuit
* Text of the Petition Filed in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis, July 23, 2008 (168.42 Kb PDF file)
* Saint Stanislaus Kostka Parish Charter (319.12 Kb PDF file)
* Saint Stanislaus Kostka Parish Articles of Agreement (771.87 Kb PDF file)
* Saint Stanislaus Kostka Parish Bylaws (1891) (604.58 Kb PDF file)
And our blog posts concerning St Stanislaus are here
Mrs. Bernice Krauze, Mr. Stanley Rozanski, and Mr. Robert Zabielski, members of the Board of Directors of Saint Stanislaus Parish Corporation, met last month (June 10) with Archbishop Raymond L. Burke to be reconciled fully with the Catholic Church. They are once again in full communion with the Catholic Church and are no longer under any censure.We thank God for such wonderful news and commend the courage of these additional board members for their acts of reconciliation.
Since then, the three have joined other parishioners of the former Saint Stanislaus Kostka parish in filing a lawsuit against the Saint Stanislaus Parish Corporation. The lawsuit is asking for the corporation to adhere to the 1891 Bylaws, to which the parish and the Archdiocese of St. Louis had agreed. If the lawsuit is successful, the Archdiocese of St. Louis is prepared to appoint a Catholic priest, Rev. Michael Marchlewski, S.J., to Saint Stanislaus as administrator.
We continue to pray for Marek Bozek and his followers, that they accept God's grace to repent and reconcile with Holy Mother Church.
More information at the Archdiocesan website:
* Q & A Regarding Reconciliation of Saint Stanislaus Board Members and Lawsuit
* Text of the Petition Filed in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis, July 23, 2008 (168.42 Kb PDF file)
* Saint Stanislaus Kostka Parish Charter (319.12 Kb PDF file)
* Saint Stanislaus Kostka Parish Articles of Agreement (771.87 Kb PDF file)
* Saint Stanislaus Kostka Parish Bylaws (1891) (604.58 Kb PDF file)
And our blog posts concerning St Stanislaus are here
News Updates, 7/23
Three Saint Stanislaus Board Members Reconciled With Church—Lawsuit Filed To Reconcile Former Parish
____________
Victims defend Pope's 'stage-managed' meeting
'We were moved by the Pope's compassionate response'
“Several distinctions”
Survey finds Catholics have different life goals than Protestants
Beijing hires priests for more games Masses
China Christian Council will print 100,000 Bibles
Eucharist snatcher impeached from college Council
Non-Catholic pocketed Host, prompting altercation
Priest pleads guilty to raping boys in Mass.
Victim: 'I haven't been in a church since it happened'
Group says church closures not needed
'We were asked to prepare for a worst-case scenario'
Hold the applause: Confessions of a Mass clapper
Psalm 47:1 tells us: 'All you peoples, clap your hands'
Lesbos locals lose lesbian appeal
Island residents claim using the term to refer to gay women insults their identity
The Archdiocese of St. Louis issued the following statement on July 23, 2008:More here:
Mrs. Bernice Krauze, Mr. Stanley Rozanski, and Mr. Robert Zabielski, members of the Board of Directors of Saint Stanislaus Parish Corporation, met last month (June 10) with Archbishop Raymond L. Burke to be reconciled fully with the Catholic Church. They are once again in full communion with the Catholic Church and are no longer under any censure.
Since then, the three have joined other parishioners of the former Saint Stanislaus Kostka parish in filing a lawsuit against the Saint Stanislaus Parish Corporation. The lawsuit is asking for the corporation to adhere to the 1891 Bylaws, to which the parish and the Archdiocese of St. Louis had agreed. If the lawsuit is successful, the Archdiocese of St. Louis is prepared to appoint a Catholic priest, Rev. Michael Marchlewski, S.J., to Saint Stanislaus as administrator.
____________
Victims defend Pope's 'stage-managed' meeting
'We were moved by the Pope's compassionate response'
“Several distinctions”
Survey finds Catholics have different life goals than Protestants
Beijing hires priests for more games Masses
China Christian Council will print 100,000 Bibles
Eucharist snatcher impeached from college Council
Non-Catholic pocketed Host, prompting altercation
Priest pleads guilty to raping boys in Mass.
Victim: 'I haven't been in a church since it happened'
Group says church closures not needed
'We were asked to prepare for a worst-case scenario'
Hold the applause: Confessions of a Mass clapper
Psalm 47:1 tells us: 'All you peoples, clap your hands'
Lesbos locals lose lesbian appeal
Island residents claim using the term to refer to gay women insults their identity
Gospel for Wednesday, 16th Week in Ordinary Time
Optional Memorial of St. Bridget, religious
Old Calendar: St. Apollinaris, bishop and martyr; St. Liborius, bishop and confessor
From: Matthew 13:1-9
Parable of the Sower
[1] That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. [2] And great crowds gathered about Him, so that He got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach. [3] And He told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. [4] And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. [5] Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, [6] but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away. [7] Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. [8] Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. [9] He who has ears, let him hear."
_____________________
Commentary:
3. Chapter 13 of St. Matthew includes as many as seven of Jesus' parables, which is the reason why it is usually called "the parable discourse" or the "parabolic discourse". Because of their similarity of content and setting these parables are often called the "Kingdom parables", and also the "parables of the Lake", because Jesus taught them on the shore of Lake Gennesaret. Jesus uses these elaborate comparisons (parables) to explain certain features of the Kingdom of God which He has come to establish (cf. Matthew 3:2)--its tiny, humble origins; its steady growth; its worldwide scope; its salvific force. God calls everyone to salvation but only those attain it who receive God's call with good dispositions and who do not change their attitude; the value of the spiritual benefits the Kingdom brings--so valuable that one should give up everything to obtain them; the fact that good and bad are all mixed together until the harvest time, or the time of God's judgment; the intimate connection between earthly and heavenly aspects of the Kingdom, until it reaches its point of full development at the end of time.
On Jesus' lips, parables are exceptionally effective. By using parables He keeps His listeners' attention, whether they are uneducated or not, and by means of the most ordinary things of daily life He sheds light on the deepest supernatural mysteries. He used the parable device in a masterly way; His parables are quite unique; they carry the seal of His personality; through them He has graphically shown us the riches of grace, the life of the Church, the demands of the faith and even the mystery of God's own inner life.
Jesus' teaching continues to provide every generation with light and guidance on moral conduct. By reading and reflecting on His parables one can savor the adorable humanity of the Savior, who showed such kindness to the people who crowded around to hear Him--and who shows the same readiness to listen to our prayers, despite our dullness, and to reply to our healthy curiosity when we try to make out His meaning.
3-8. Anyone who has visited the fertile plain to the west of the Lake of Gennesaret will appreciate Jesus' touching description in the parable of the sower. The plain is crisscrossed by paths; it is streaked with rocky ground, often with the rocks lying just beneath the surface, and with the courses of rivulets, dry for most of the year but still retaining some moisture. Here and there are clumps of large thorn bushes. When the agricultural worker sows seed in this mixed kind of land, he knows that some seed will fare better than others.
9. Jesus did not explain this parable there and then. It was quite usual for parables to be presented in the first instance as a kind of puzzle to gain the listener's attention, excite his curiosity and fix the parable in his memory. It may well be that Jesus wanted to allow his more interested listeners to identify themselves by coming back to hear Him again--as happened with His disciples. The rest--who listened out of idle curiosity or for too human reasons (to see Him work miracles)--would not benefit from hearing a more detailed and deeper explanation of the parable.
__________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Old Calendar: St. Apollinaris, bishop and martyr; St. Liborius, bishop and confessor
From: Matthew 13:1-9
Parable of the Sower
[1] That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. [2] And great crowds gathered about Him, so that He got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach. [3] And He told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. [4] And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. [5] Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, [6] but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away. [7] Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. [8] Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. [9] He who has ears, let him hear."
_____________________
Commentary:
3. Chapter 13 of St. Matthew includes as many as seven of Jesus' parables, which is the reason why it is usually called "the parable discourse" or the "parabolic discourse". Because of their similarity of content and setting these parables are often called the "Kingdom parables", and also the "parables of the Lake", because Jesus taught them on the shore of Lake Gennesaret. Jesus uses these elaborate comparisons (parables) to explain certain features of the Kingdom of God which He has come to establish (cf. Matthew 3:2)--its tiny, humble origins; its steady growth; its worldwide scope; its salvific force. God calls everyone to salvation but only those attain it who receive God's call with good dispositions and who do not change their attitude; the value of the spiritual benefits the Kingdom brings--so valuable that one should give up everything to obtain them; the fact that good and bad are all mixed together until the harvest time, or the time of God's judgment; the intimate connection between earthly and heavenly aspects of the Kingdom, until it reaches its point of full development at the end of time.
On Jesus' lips, parables are exceptionally effective. By using parables He keeps His listeners' attention, whether they are uneducated or not, and by means of the most ordinary things of daily life He sheds light on the deepest supernatural mysteries. He used the parable device in a masterly way; His parables are quite unique; they carry the seal of His personality; through them He has graphically shown us the riches of grace, the life of the Church, the demands of the faith and even the mystery of God's own inner life.
Jesus' teaching continues to provide every generation with light and guidance on moral conduct. By reading and reflecting on His parables one can savor the adorable humanity of the Savior, who showed such kindness to the people who crowded around to hear Him--and who shows the same readiness to listen to our prayers, despite our dullness, and to reply to our healthy curiosity when we try to make out His meaning.
3-8. Anyone who has visited the fertile plain to the west of the Lake of Gennesaret will appreciate Jesus' touching description in the parable of the sower. The plain is crisscrossed by paths; it is streaked with rocky ground, often with the rocks lying just beneath the surface, and with the courses of rivulets, dry for most of the year but still retaining some moisture. Here and there are clumps of large thorn bushes. When the agricultural worker sows seed in this mixed kind of land, he knows that some seed will fare better than others.
9. Jesus did not explain this parable there and then. It was quite usual for parables to be presented in the first instance as a kind of puzzle to gain the listener's attention, excite his curiosity and fix the parable in his memory. It may well be that Jesus wanted to allow his more interested listeners to identify themselves by coming back to hear Him again--as happened with His disciples. The rest--who listened out of idle curiosity or for too human reasons (to see Him work miracles)--would not benefit from hearing a more detailed and deeper explanation of the parable.
__________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Just for Today, July 23
When thou thinkest I am far from thee, I am often nearest to thee. When thou judgest that almost all is lost, then oftentimes it is that thou art in the way of the greatest gain of merit. All is not lost when anything falls out otherwise than thou wouldst have it.
Thou must not judge according to thy present feeling; nor give thyself up in such manner to any trouble, from whencesoever it comes; nor take it so, as if all hope were gone of being delivered out of it.
-Bk. III, ch. xxx.
_________________
"All is not lost, my dear child," the Bishop said to me, "but I am glad that you are going to Rome with your father; the journey will make your vocation all the stronger."
So we had to return to Lisieux without having obtained a favourable answer. My future seemed hopeless; as I advanced towards my goal, the difficulties in the way seemed to increase. In spite of them, my soul was in great peace, for I only sought the Will of God.
-The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme).
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
Thou must not judge according to thy present feeling; nor give thyself up in such manner to any trouble, from whencesoever it comes; nor take it so, as if all hope were gone of being delivered out of it.
-Bk. III, ch. xxx.
_________________
"All is not lost, my dear child," the Bishop said to me, "but I am glad that you are going to Rome with your father; the journey will make your vocation all the stronger."
So we had to return to Lisieux without having obtained a favourable answer. My future seemed hopeless; as I advanced towards my goal, the difficulties in the way seemed to increase. In spite of them, my soul was in great peace, for I only sought the Will of God.
-The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme).
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
Thoughts and Counsels - July 23
We should learn of Jesus Christ to be meek and humble of heart, and ask Him unceasingly for these two virtues. We ought, particularly, to avoid the two contrary vices which would cause us to destroy with one hand what we seek to raise with the other.
-St. Vincent de Paul.
________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
-St. Vincent de Paul.
________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
Meditation for July 23, Procrastination
Is procrastination one of my faults? Laziness, lack of organization in my work, and wasted time are all bound up in it.
I will try to discover fully the causes of it and remedy these faults to the best of my ability.
For my encouragement, I ought to consider how much to my disadvantage procrastination is; it makes me vacillating in fulfilling God's wishes and desires, and brings with it no advantage whatsoever for:
What I omit today will be just as difficult tomorrow, if not more so.
The reasons that restrain me today, will doubtless restrain me tomorrow.
In neglecting to act at the present moment, I run the risk of passing up every moment for acting.
Thus, I am in danger of cowardice and delusion; this is what it means to put off till later what duty demands or suggests for immediate fulfillment.
What would have happened to Joseph, if he had delayed taking the Child Jesus and His Mother Mary to flee into Egypt? What would have become of the Magi if they had put off following the star? What would have become of the Apostles if they had loitered, waited, argued? They left immediately. Recall Joan of Arc's response to the question: "When do you wish to set out." "Rather today than tomorrow, and tomorrow rather than the day after."
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
I will try to discover fully the causes of it and remedy these faults to the best of my ability.
For my encouragement, I ought to consider how much to my disadvantage procrastination is; it makes me vacillating in fulfilling God's wishes and desires, and brings with it no advantage whatsoever for:
What I omit today will be just as difficult tomorrow, if not more so.
The reasons that restrain me today, will doubtless restrain me tomorrow.
In neglecting to act at the present moment, I run the risk of passing up every moment for acting.
Thus, I am in danger of cowardice and delusion; this is what it means to put off till later what duty demands or suggests for immediate fulfillment.
What would have happened to Joseph, if he had delayed taking the Child Jesus and His Mother Mary to flee into Egypt? What would have become of the Magi if they had put off following the star? What would have become of the Apostles if they had loitered, waited, argued? They left immediately. Recall Joan of Arc's response to the question: "When do you wish to set out." "Rather today than tomorrow, and tomorrow rather than the day after."
"O all you who have obeyed the calls of God with such promptitude, teach me to follow grace as soon as it speaks, that I may never keep Our Lord waiting._________________
"Speak Lord for Your servant heareth."
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
News Updates, 7/22
Animal rights group protests over Pope's fur
Protestors don't like Benedict's cape with ermine border
Chicago cathedral protesters plead guilty
Anti-war demonstrators threw fake blood on worshipers
“Hard to take seriously” Dissident group’s plan to publish open letter critical of Humane Vitae draws scorn of pro-life leader
Australians rate Benedict XVI a top bloke
PM says his countryman touched by Pope's 'humanity'
Anglican unrest threatens to harm links with Vatican
Bertone: Problems pose grave challenge for Christian unity
Anglican leader admits Church of England in crisis
Archbishop of Canterbury hopes for solution at Lambeth
Birth-control ruling still echoes for Church
Paul VI's controversial Humanae Vitae turns 40 this year
Counter-protest
Supporters of traditional marriage rally for San Diego hotel owner targeted by backers of same-sex unions for donating to Prop 8
1,600-year-old version of Bible goes online
Technology makes ancient cultural artifacts accessible to all
Protestors don't like Benedict's cape with ermine border
Chicago cathedral protesters plead guilty
Anti-war demonstrators threw fake blood on worshipers
“Hard to take seriously” Dissident group’s plan to publish open letter critical of Humane Vitae draws scorn of pro-life leader
Australians rate Benedict XVI a top bloke
PM says his countryman touched by Pope's 'humanity'
Anglican unrest threatens to harm links with Vatican
Bertone: Problems pose grave challenge for Christian unity
Anglican leader admits Church of England in crisis
Archbishop of Canterbury hopes for solution at Lambeth
Birth-control ruling still echoes for Church
Paul VI's controversial Humanae Vitae turns 40 this year
Counter-protest
Supporters of traditional marriage rally for San Diego hotel owner targeted by backers of same-sex unions for donating to Prop 8
1,600-year-old version of Bible goes online
Technology makes ancient cultural artifacts accessible to all
Gospel for July 22, Memorial: St. Mary Magdalene, Disciple of the Lord
Old Calendar: St. Mary Magdalen, penitent
From: John 20:1-2, 11-18
The Empty Tomb
[1] Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. [2] So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."
The Appearance To Mary Magdalene
[11] But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; [12] and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. [13] They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." [14] Saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. [15] Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing Him to be gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." [16] Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). [17] Jesus said to her, "Do not hold Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God." [18] Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that He had said these things to her.
__________________________
Commentary:
1-2. All four Gospels report the first testimonies of the holy women and the disciples regarding Christ's glorious resurrection, beginning with the fact of the empty tomb (cf. Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1ff; Luke 24:1-12) and then telling of the various appearances of the risen Jesus.
Mary Magdalene was one of the women who provided for our Lord during His journeys (Luke 8:1-3); along with the Virgin Mary she bravely stayed with Him right up to His final moments (John 19:25), and she saw where His body was laid (Luke 23:55). Now, after the obligatory Sabbath rest, she goes to visit the tomb. The Gospel points out that she went "early, when it was still dark": her love and veneration led her to go without delay, to be with our Lord's body.
11-18. Mary's affection and sensitivity lead her to be concerned about what has become of the dead body of Jesus. This woman out of whom seven demons were cast (cf. Luke 8:2) stayed faithful during His passion and even now her love is still ardent: our Lord had freed her from the Evil One and she responded to that grace humbly and generously.
After consoling Mary Magdalene, Jesus gives her a message for the Apostles, whom He tenderly calls His "brethren". This message implies that He and they have the same Father, though each in an essentially different way: "I am ascending to My Father"--My own Father by nature--"and to your Father"--for He is your Father through the adoption I have won for you and by My death. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, shows His great mercy and understanding by gathering together all His disciples who had abandoned Him during His passion and were now in hiding for fear of the Jews (John 20:19).
Mary Magdalene's perseverance teaches us that anyone who sincerely keeps searching for Jesus Christ will eventually find Him. Jesus' gesture in calling His disciples His "brethren" despite their having run away should fill us with love in the midst of our own infidelities.
15. From Jesus' dialogue with Mary Magdalene, we can see the frame of mind all His disciples must have been in: they were not expecting the resurrection.
17. "Do not hold Me": the use of the negative imperative in the Greek, reflected in the New Vulgate ("noli me tenere") indicates that our Lord is telling Mary to release her hold of Him, to let Him go, since she will have another chance to see Him before His ascension into Heaven.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
From: John 20:1-2, 11-18
The Empty Tomb
[1] Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. [2] So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."
The Appearance To Mary Magdalene
[11] But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; [12] and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. [13] They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." [14] Saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. [15] Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing Him to be gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." [16] Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). [17] Jesus said to her, "Do not hold Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God." [18] Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that He had said these things to her.
__________________________
Commentary:
1-2. All four Gospels report the first testimonies of the holy women and the disciples regarding Christ's glorious resurrection, beginning with the fact of the empty tomb (cf. Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1ff; Luke 24:1-12) and then telling of the various appearances of the risen Jesus.
Mary Magdalene was one of the women who provided for our Lord during His journeys (Luke 8:1-3); along with the Virgin Mary she bravely stayed with Him right up to His final moments (John 19:25), and she saw where His body was laid (Luke 23:55). Now, after the obligatory Sabbath rest, she goes to visit the tomb. The Gospel points out that she went "early, when it was still dark": her love and veneration led her to go without delay, to be with our Lord's body.
11-18. Mary's affection and sensitivity lead her to be concerned about what has become of the dead body of Jesus. This woman out of whom seven demons were cast (cf. Luke 8:2) stayed faithful during His passion and even now her love is still ardent: our Lord had freed her from the Evil One and she responded to that grace humbly and generously.
After consoling Mary Magdalene, Jesus gives her a message for the Apostles, whom He tenderly calls His "brethren". This message implies that He and they have the same Father, though each in an essentially different way: "I am ascending to My Father"--My own Father by nature--"and to your Father"--for He is your Father through the adoption I have won for you and by My death. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, shows His great mercy and understanding by gathering together all His disciples who had abandoned Him during His passion and were now in hiding for fear of the Jews (John 20:19).
Mary Magdalene's perseverance teaches us that anyone who sincerely keeps searching for Jesus Christ will eventually find Him. Jesus' gesture in calling His disciples His "brethren" despite their having run away should fill us with love in the midst of our own infidelities.
15. From Jesus' dialogue with Mary Magdalene, we can see the frame of mind all His disciples must have been in: they were not expecting the resurrection.
17. "Do not hold Me": the use of the negative imperative in the Greek, reflected in the New Vulgate ("noli me tenere") indicates that our Lord is telling Mary to release her hold of Him, to let Him go, since she will have another chance to see Him before His ascension into Heaven.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Just for Today, July 22
Thou showest me to myself, what I am, what I have been, and what I am come to: for I am nothing, and I knew it not. If I am left to myself, behold I am nothing, and all weakness; but it is very wonderful that I am so quickly raised up, and so graciously embraced by Thee.
It is Thy love that effects this, freely preventing me and assisting me in so many necessities; preserving me also from grievous dangers, and, as I may truly say, delivering me from innumerable evils.
-Bk. III, ch. viii.
________________
Our Lord knew that I was too weak to be exposed to temptation; I would have burnt my wings in the flame of this world, so I was not shown its deceptive light. Where strong souls finds happiness, yet deny themselves out of fidelity, I find only suffering. What merit, then, can I claim for not having fallen a victim to such attachments, when it was the mercy of God that prevented me? Without Him I could have fallen as low as St Mary Magdalen, and His grave words to Simon the Pharisee stir me to the depths of my soul. I know that to whom less is forgiven, he loveth less (Luke vii, 47), and yet I have been forgiven more than was St Mary Magdalen.
It is difficult to explain what I mean, but the following example will help: supposing the son of a clever doctor stumbles over a stone on the road and breaks a limb. His father hastens to him, lifts him up lovingly and attends to his injury, making use of his medical skill. When cured, his son will show his gratitude, having every reason to love so kind a father. Here is another example: the father, knowing there is a dangerous obstacle in his son's path, goes on ahead and, unseen by anyone, removes it. The son, not knowing what he owes to his father's foresight, naturally does not express his gratitude, and loves him less than he would if cured of a serious injury. If, however, he comes to hear of it, he will love his father more than before.
I am the privileged child of God's loving Providence, of the Father who sent His Word not to call the just, but sinners (Luke v, 32). He expects me to love Him, not because He has forgiven me much, but because He has forgiven me all. Before receiving any proof of my love such as St Mary Magdalen gave, He let me know how much He had shielded and loved me, that I might love Him with my whole heart in return. I have often heard it said at retreats and at other times that no innocent soul loves more than a repentant one, but I long to prove this untrue.
-The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme).
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
It is Thy love that effects this, freely preventing me and assisting me in so many necessities; preserving me also from grievous dangers, and, as I may truly say, delivering me from innumerable evils.
-Bk. III, ch. viii.
________________
Our Lord knew that I was too weak to be exposed to temptation; I would have burnt my wings in the flame of this world, so I was not shown its deceptive light. Where strong souls finds happiness, yet deny themselves out of fidelity, I find only suffering. What merit, then, can I claim for not having fallen a victim to such attachments, when it was the mercy of God that prevented me? Without Him I could have fallen as low as St Mary Magdalen, and His grave words to Simon the Pharisee stir me to the depths of my soul. I know that to whom less is forgiven, he loveth less (Luke vii, 47), and yet I have been forgiven more than was St Mary Magdalen.
It is difficult to explain what I mean, but the following example will help: supposing the son of a clever doctor stumbles over a stone on the road and breaks a limb. His father hastens to him, lifts him up lovingly and attends to his injury, making use of his medical skill. When cured, his son will show his gratitude, having every reason to love so kind a father. Here is another example: the father, knowing there is a dangerous obstacle in his son's path, goes on ahead and, unseen by anyone, removes it. The son, not knowing what he owes to his father's foresight, naturally does not express his gratitude, and loves him less than he would if cured of a serious injury. If, however, he comes to hear of it, he will love his father more than before.
I am the privileged child of God's loving Providence, of the Father who sent His Word not to call the just, but sinners (Luke v, 32). He expects me to love Him, not because He has forgiven me much, but because He has forgiven me all. Before receiving any proof of my love such as St Mary Magdalen gave, He let me know how much He had shielded and loved me, that I might love Him with my whole heart in return. I have often heard it said at retreats and at other times that no innocent soul loves more than a repentant one, but I long to prove this untrue.
-The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme).
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
Meditation for July 22, Mary Magalen
If there is any day when points of meditation are useless, is it not today? How many scenes of the Gospel present themselves to me--and all with marked emphasis on one outstanding lesson: eagerness to remain at the feet of Our Lord!
Each time that I see Mary Magdalen in the Gospel, after her conversion, I find her at the feet of the Savior.
She is at the feet of the Savior at the home of Simon, the Pharisee.
She is at the feet of the Savior at Bethany while Martha attends to the household duties.
She is at the feet of the Savior beneath the Cross.
She is at the feet of the Savior at the sepulchre after the Resurrection.
Thus she gives me four models of contemplation:
Do I, like Mary Magdalen, seek out this sacred place at the feet of Jesus? In other words do I thirst for prayer, for divine contact with the adorable Master, hoping for nothing more than to rest my head, through life, against His knees?
O Mary Magdalen, great Saint who manifests so well to me the wealth of your heart and the riches of the Heart of Jesus, teach me to repent as you did; to adore as you did; to compassionate as you did; and to unite myself, as you did, to my Risen Lord. Make of me, even though my vocation requires the union of activity with prayer, a soul of prayer; make of me in the strongest sense of the word a contemplative.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Each time that I see Mary Magdalen in the Gospel, after her conversion, I find her at the feet of the Savior.
She is at the feet of the Savior at the home of Simon, the Pharisee.
She is at the feet of the Savior at Bethany while Martha attends to the household duties.
She is at the feet of the Savior beneath the Cross.
She is at the feet of the Savior at the sepulchre after the Resurrection.
Thus she gives me four models of contemplation:
Repentant contemplationI can choose the model which best suits me according to my state of soul or the attraction of grace.
Adoring contemplation
Compassionating contemplation
Blissful contemplation
Do I, like Mary Magdalen, seek out this sacred place at the feet of Jesus? In other words do I thirst for prayer, for divine contact with the adorable Master, hoping for nothing more than to rest my head, through life, against His knees?
O Mary Magdalen, great Saint who manifests so well to me the wealth of your heart and the riches of the Heart of Jesus, teach me to repent as you did; to adore as you did; to compassionate as you did; and to unite myself, as you did, to my Risen Lord. Make of me, even though my vocation requires the union of activity with prayer, a soul of prayer; make of me in the strongest sense of the word a contemplative.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Answers-What's Your Moral IQ on Violence, Fear and Habit in Moral Matters?
Questions can be viewed here.
_____________
1. It is force by a free external agent that is exerted on one to compel him to perform an act against his will.
2. No.
3. No.
4. Yes, because of the scandal she causes.
5. No. She can still sin in her heart.
6. It is mental anxiety brought on by the apprehension cif an impending danger.
7. When his fear is so great that it deprives him of his use of reason.
8. No.
9. Yes. Although an evil habit may lessen Jack's guilt, he still must try to correct it.
10. No.
_________________________
Adapted from The Queen's Work Magazine, December 1946
_____________
1. It is force by a free external agent that is exerted on one to compel him to perform an act against his will.
2. No.
3. No.
4. Yes, because of the scandal she causes.
5. No. She can still sin in her heart.
6. It is mental anxiety brought on by the apprehension cif an impending danger.
7. When his fear is so great that it deprives him of his use of reason.
8. No.
9. Yes. Although an evil habit may lessen Jack's guilt, he still must try to correct it.
10. No.
_________________________
Adapted from The Queen's Work Magazine, December 1946
News Updates, 7/21
Pope Benedict apologizes for Church sex abuse
Believes those responsible should be brought to justice
Pope meets with clergy abuse victims in Australia
Ends WYD pilgrimage with gesture of contrition, concern
Muslims kill Christian teen for courting Muslim
Girl's father and uncle claim it was an 'honor killing'
Wrong answer
San Jose City College sued for firing biology teacher over her response to student’s question about homosexuality and genetics
Policeman harassed for being a Christian
Persecuted since objecting to wearing gay event ribbons
"No longer considering the appointment”
University of San Diego withdraws offer of honorary professorship to feminist theologian
Group claims to ordain Catholic women priests
Boston archdiocese: participants are excommunicated
Excommunicated
California woman “ordains” three “womenpriests”
Pope warns Catholic youth of 'spiritual desert'
400,000 worshippers attend the climax of WYD week
San Francisco to decriminalize prostitution?
Erotic Service Providers Union gathered 12,000 signatures
IRS recognizes Church of Satan as a religion
Devil worshippers not so underground any more
Cardinal Rigali Urges Congress To Respect Conscience Rights
Wrote to all members of Congress defending “efforts to reaffirm and implement laws on conscience protection.”
Believes those responsible should be brought to justice
Pope meets with clergy abuse victims in Australia
Ends WYD pilgrimage with gesture of contrition, concern
Muslims kill Christian teen for courting Muslim
Girl's father and uncle claim it was an 'honor killing'
Wrong answer
San Jose City College sued for firing biology teacher over her response to student’s question about homosexuality and genetics
Policeman harassed for being a Christian
Persecuted since objecting to wearing gay event ribbons
"No longer considering the appointment”
University of San Diego withdraws offer of honorary professorship to feminist theologian
Group claims to ordain Catholic women priests
Boston archdiocese: participants are excommunicated
Excommunicated
California woman “ordains” three “womenpriests”
Pope warns Catholic youth of 'spiritual desert'
400,000 worshippers attend the climax of WYD week
San Francisco to decriminalize prostitution?
Erotic Service Providers Union gathered 12,000 signatures
IRS recognizes Church of Satan as a religion
Devil worshippers not so underground any more
Cardinal Rigali Urges Congress To Respect Conscience Rights
Wrote to all members of Congress defending “efforts to reaffirm and implement laws on conscience protection.”
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Gospel for Monday, 16th Week in Ordinary Time
Optional Memorial of St. Lawrence of Brindisi, priest and doctor
Old Calendar: St. Praxedes, virgin
From: Matthew 12:38-42
The Sign of Jonah
[38] Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him (Jesus), "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." [39] But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. [40] For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. [41] The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. [42] The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here."
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Commentary:
39-40. This sign the Jews were asking for would have been a miracle or some other prodigy; they wanted Jesus, incongruously, to confirm his preaching--given with such simplicity--by dramatic signs. Our Lord replies by announcing the mystery of his death and resurrection, using the parallel of the case of Jonah: "No sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." Jesus' glorious resurrection is the "sign" "par excellence", the decisive proof of the divine character of his person, of his mission and of his teaching.
When St. Paul (1 Cor 14:3-4) confesses that Jesus Christ "was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures" (words which later found their way into the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, the Creed used in the Mass), he must have had this passage particularly in mind. We can see another allusion to Jonah in the words our Lord spoke shortly before his ascension: "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead" (Lk 24:45-46).
41-42. Nineveh was a city in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) to which the prophet Jonah was sent. The Ninevites did penance (Jn 3:6-9) because they recognized the prophet and accepted his message; whereas Jerusalem does not wish to recognize Jesus, of whom Jonah was merely a figure. The queen of the South was the queen of Sheba in southwestern Arabia, who visited Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-10) and was in awe of the wisdom with which God had endowed the King of Israel. Jesus is also prefigured in Solomon, whom Jewish tradition saw as the epitome of the wise man. Jesus' reproach is accentuated by the example of pagan converts, and gives us a glimpse of the universal scope of Christianity, which will take root among the Gentiles.
There is a certain irony in what Jesus says about "something greater" than Jonah or Solomon having coming: really, he is infinitely greater, but Jesus prefers to tone down the difference between himself and any figure, no matter how important, in the Old Testament.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Old Calendar: St. Praxedes, virgin
From: Matthew 12:38-42
The Sign of Jonah
[38] Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him (Jesus), "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." [39] But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. [40] For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. [41] The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. [42] The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here."
________________________
Commentary:
39-40. This sign the Jews were asking for would have been a miracle or some other prodigy; they wanted Jesus, incongruously, to confirm his preaching--given with such simplicity--by dramatic signs. Our Lord replies by announcing the mystery of his death and resurrection, using the parallel of the case of Jonah: "No sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." Jesus' glorious resurrection is the "sign" "par excellence", the decisive proof of the divine character of his person, of his mission and of his teaching.
When St. Paul (1 Cor 14:3-4) confesses that Jesus Christ "was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures" (words which later found their way into the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, the Creed used in the Mass), he must have had this passage particularly in mind. We can see another allusion to Jonah in the words our Lord spoke shortly before his ascension: "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead" (Lk 24:45-46).
41-42. Nineveh was a city in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) to which the prophet Jonah was sent. The Ninevites did penance (Jn 3:6-9) because they recognized the prophet and accepted his message; whereas Jerusalem does not wish to recognize Jesus, of whom Jonah was merely a figure. The queen of the South was the queen of Sheba in southwestern Arabia, who visited Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-10) and was in awe of the wisdom with which God had endowed the King of Israel. Jesus is also prefigured in Solomon, whom Jewish tradition saw as the epitome of the wise man. Jesus' reproach is accentuated by the example of pagan converts, and gives us a glimpse of the universal scope of Christianity, which will take root among the Gentiles.
There is a certain irony in what Jesus says about "something greater" than Jonah or Solomon having coming: really, he is infinitely greater, but Jesus prefers to tone down the difference between himself and any figure, no matter how important, in the Old Testament.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Just for Today, July 21
Let not therefore thy heart be troubled, and let it not fear. Believe in Me and trust in My mercy.
-Bk. III, ch. xxx.
_________________
Having received so many graces, I can cry out with the Psalmist: Give praise to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever (Ps. cxvii). I cannot help thinking that if everyone were given such graces, no one would fear God, but all would love Him with a boundless love. No longer out of fear, but out of love no soul would deliberately commit the least fault.
-The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme).
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
-Bk. III, ch. xxx.
_________________
Having received so many graces, I can cry out with the Psalmist: Give praise to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever (Ps. cxvii). I cannot help thinking that if everyone were given such graces, no one would fear God, but all would love Him with a boundless love. No longer out of fear, but out of love no soul would deliberately commit the least fault.
-The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme).
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
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