Sunday,
December 25, 2011: (SOLEMNITY OF
THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD (CHRISTMAS) MASS AT MIDNIGHT)
Readings for today: Isaiah 9:1-6 / Titus 2:11-14 /
Luke 2:1-14:
Reading I - A reading from the book
of the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 9:1-6):
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
For every boot that tramped in battle,
every cloak rolled in blood,
will be burned as fuel for flames.
For a child is born to us, a son is given us;
upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
His dominion is vast
and forever peaceful,
from David's throne, and over his kingdom,
which he confirms and sustains
by judgment and justice,
both now and forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!
R. (Lk 2:11)Today is born
our Savior, Christ the Lord.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.
R. Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.
They shall exult before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. Today is born our Savior, Christ the
Lord.
Reading II - A reading
from the letter of St. Paul to Titus (Titus 2:11-14):
Beloved:
The grace of God has appeared, saving all
and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires
and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age,
as we await the blessed hope,
the appearance of the glory of our great God
and savior Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness
and to cleanse for himself a people as his own,
eager to do what is good.
Gospel - A reading from
the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke (Luke 2:1-14):
In those days a decree went out from
Caesar Augustus
that the whole world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment,
when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth
to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and family of David,
to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there,
the time came for her to have her child,
and she gave birth to her firstborn son.
She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them,
"Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."
--------------------
12/25/11- The Fab
Four Sing "Joy to the World":
Merry Christmas everybody! Enjoy
this nice twist to Christmas classics...a Beatles cover band, The Fab Four.
Enjoy...
Sunday,
December 18, 2011: (FOURTH SUNDAY
OF ADVENT)
Readings for today: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 / Romans
16:25-27 / Luke 1:26-38:
Reading I - A reading from the book
of the Prophet Samuel (2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16):
When King David was settled in his
palace,
and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,
he said to Nathan the prophet,
"Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!"
Nathan answered the king,
"Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you."
But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
"Go, tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?'
"'It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever."
Responsorial Psalm -
(Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29):
R. (2a) For ever I will sing
the goodness of the Lord.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, "My kindness is established forever";
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the
Lord.
"I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations."
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the
Lord.
"He shall say of me, 'You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.'
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm."
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of
the Lord.
Reading II - A reading
from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans (Romans 16:25-27):
Brothers and sisters:
To him who can strengthen you,
according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ
be glory forever and ever. Amen
Gospel - A reading from
the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke (Luke 1:26-38):
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
"Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.
--------------------
12/18/11 - Memorial of St.
Lucy the Virgin & Martyr (Feast Day December 13):
Sunday,
December 11, 2011: (THIRD SUNDAY
OF ADVENT)
Readings for today: Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11 / 1 Thessalonians
5:16-24 / John 1:6-8, 19-28:
Reading I - A reading from the book of the Prophet
Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11):
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon
me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God.
I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
R. My soul rejoices in my God.
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
R. My soul rejoices in my God.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
R. My soul rejoices in my God.
Reading II - A reading from the first
letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 5:16-24):
Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophetic utterances.
Test everything; retain what is good.
Refrain from every kind of evil.
May the God of peace make you perfectly holy
and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body,
be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will also accomplish it.
Gospel - A reading from the Holy Gospel
according to St. John (John 1:6-8, 19-28):
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him
to ask him, "Who are you?"
He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted, "I am not the Christ."
So they asked him,
"What are you then? Are you Elijah?"
And he said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."
So they said to him,
"Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?"
He said:
"I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
'make straight the way of the Lord,'"
as Isaiah the prophet said."
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
"Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?"
John answered them,
"I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
Thursday,
December 8, 2011: (SOLEMNITY OF
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY)
Readings for today: Genesis 3:9-15, 20 / Ephesians 1:3-6,
11-12 / Luke 1:26-38:
Reading I - A reading from the book of Genesis
(Genesis 3:9-15, 20):
After the man, Adam, had eaten of
the tree,
the LORD God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?"
He answered, "I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself."
Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!"
The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it."
The LORD God then asked the woman,
"Why did you do such a thing?"
The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it."
Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
"Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel."
The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.
Responsorial Psalm - (Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab,
3cd-4):
R. (1) Sing to the Lord a
new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has
done marvelous deeds.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has
done marvelous deeds.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he
has done marvelous deeds.
Reading II - A reading from the letter of
St. Paul to the Ephesians (Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12):
Brothers and sisters:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved.
In him 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.
Gospel - A reading from the Holy Gospel
according to St. Luke (Luke 1:26-38):
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.
--------------------
12/08/11- Prayer to Mary
by Berthe Petit (Franciscan Tertiary):
Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of
Mary, dwelling pure and holy,
cover my soul with thy maternal protection so that being ever
faithful to the voice of Jesus, it responds to His love and
obeys His Divine Will.
I wish, O, my Mother, to keep
unceasingly before me thy
co-redemption in order to live intimately with thy Heart
that is totally united to the Heart of thy Divine Son.
Fasten me to this Heart by thine own
virtues and sorrows.
Protect me always.
Amen.
THIS MESSAGE WAS CONFIDED BY OUR
LORD TO
BERTHE PETIT, A HUMBLE FRANCISCAN
TERTIARY,
BORN JANUARY 23, 1870 IN BELGIUM:
"Teach souls to love the Heart of
Mary pierced by the very sorrows
which pierced Mine." [Dec. 25, 1909]
AT THE HOLY HOUR [MARCH 25, 1912]
THE BLESSED VIRGIN SPOKE THUS:
"I have called myself the Immaculate
Conception. To you I call myself
Mother of the Sorrowful Heart. This
title willed by my Son is dear to me
above all others. According as it is
spread everywhere, there will be granted
graces of mercy, spiritual renewal
and salvation."
Reading I - A reading from the book of the Prophet
Isaiah (Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11):
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.
A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
the rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Go up on to a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.
R. (8) Lord, let us see your
kindness, and grant us your salvation.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD--for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant
us your salvation.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant
us your salvation.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and
grant us your salvation.
Reading II - A reading from the second
epistle of St. Peter (2 Peter 3:8-14):
Do not ignore this one fact,
beloved,
that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years
and a thousand years like one day.
The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard "delay,"
but he is patient with you,
not wishing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,
and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar
and the elements will be dissolved by fire,
and the earth and everything done on it will be found out.
Since everything is to be dissolved in this way,
what sort of persons ought you to be,
conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion,
waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames
and the elements melted by fire.
But according to his promise
we await new heavens and a new earth
in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you await these things,
be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.
Gospel - A reading from the Holy Gospel
according to St. Mark (Mark 1: 1-8):
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus
Christ the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
"Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths." John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
John was clothed in camel's hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
"One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
Reading I - A reading from the book of the Prophet
Isaiah (Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7):
You, LORD, are our father,
our redeemer you are named forever.
Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways,
and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
with the mountains quaking before you,
while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for,
such as they had not heard of from of old.
No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you
doing such deeds for those who wait for him.
Would that you might meet us doing right,
that we were mindful of you in our ways!
Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;
all of us have become like unclean people,
all our good deeds are like polluted rags;
we have all withered like leaves,
and our guilt carries us away like the wind.
There is none who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to cling to you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered us up to our guilt.
Yet, O LORD, you are our father;
we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.
R. (4) Lord, make us turn to
you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
R. Lord, make us
turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your
face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us
see your face and we shall be saved.
Reading II - A reading from the first
letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 1:3-9):
Brothers and sisters:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Gospel - A reading from the Holy Gospel
according to St. Mark (Mark 13:33-37):
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be watchful! Be alert!
You do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man traveling abroad.
He leaves home and places his servants in charge,
each with his own work,
and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.
Watch, therefore;
you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight,
or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to all: 'Watch!'"
---------------------
11/27/11-
Prayer: "Act of Love" - Recite, "Jesus, Mary, I love you!
Save souls!"
Sr. Maria Consolata Betrone -
"Jesus, Mary, I love You, Save Souls"
In the message of
25 July 2005
Our Blessed Mother at Medjugorje said: “Dear
Children! I call you to fill your day with short and ardent prayers.”
There are countless brief and
ardent prayers. Perhaps we all have a favourite one we like to repeat
more frequently. It would be an ardent task to find the origins of each,
but I think it is fair to say that they are all inspired by God’s Spirit
of Love; by Love for Love, for love of souls and love of us. One such
inspiration was given to the Servant of God Sr. Maria Consolata
Betrone (1903-1946, Italy) after reading St. Therese of
Lisieux’s Story of a Soul. Consolata herself was granted
mystical experiences, but she is particularly remembered for her “very
small way” which can be summed up in the following three points which
are the nucleus of Our Lord’s instructions to her:
Offer an unceasing
act of love from the heart: Jesus, Mary I love You, Save
Souls!
Have a smiling “yes”
for everyone, to see and treat Jesus in everyone.
Have a grateful
“yes” for everything.
An act of love is also an act of
reparation: the Lord told Consolata: A “Jesus, I love You”
repairs a thousand blasphemies. The importance of this brief but
powerful invocation can be understood by Jesus’ own words: “All I ask
for is this: a continuous act of love: JESUS, MARY I LOVE YOU, SAVE
SOULS…”
He invited Consolata to
intensify the prayer, and to make no delay: “Don’t waste time: every act of
love is a soul! Of all the gifts, the best gift you can offer me is a
day full of love. I desire an uninterrupted Jesus, Mary I love You, save
souls! from when you get up in the morning till when you go to bed at
night.”
The act of love that Jesus wants
is much more than lip service. It must be interiorized: with one’s mind
that concentrates on loving, with one’s will that wants to love, with
one’s heart that loves. The formula Jesus, Mary I love You, save
souls is but a help.
To German
mystic, Justine Klotz (1888-1984), the Lord inspired a
similar ejaculation, with special regard for priests: “Jesus, Mary I
love You, save priestly souls, save souls!” When we pray for
a priest we are praying not only for him, but for the many souls under
his pastoral care, for a holy priest will bring many other souls into
the realm of God’s love. But they need the support of our prayer. We
offer an immense gift to the Church, to ourselves and to the world when
we pray for priests… and for the gift of many, holy vocations!
Sunday,
November 20, 2011: (SOLEMNITY OF
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST THE KING)
Readings for today: Ezekiel 34: 11-12, 15-17 / 1 Corinthians
15:20-26, 28 / Matthew 25:31-46:
Reading I - A reading from the book of the
Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17):
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
As a shepherd tends his flock
when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,
so will I tend my sheep.
I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered
when it was cloudy and dark.
I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.
The lost I will seek out,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal,
but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,
shepherding them rightly.
As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD,
I will judge between one sheep and another,
between rams and goats.
Responsorial Psalm - (Psalm 23:1-2, 2-3,
5-6):
R. (1) The Lord is my
shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I
shall want.
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I
shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I
shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is
nothing I shall want.
Reading II - A reading from the first
letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28):
Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
When everything is subjected to him,
then the Son himself will also be subjected
to the one who subjected everything to him,
so that God may be all in all.
Gospel - A reading from the Holy Gospel
according to St. Matthew (Matthew 25:31-46):
Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."
The Blessed Virgin Mary directed
this prayer to St. Gertrude the Great
Hail Mary of Gold Prayer
Hail Mary, White Lily of the
Glorious and always-serene Trinity.
Hail brilliant Rose of the Garden of
heavenly delights:
O you, by whom God wanted to be born
and by whose milk the King of Heaven
wanted to be nourished! Nourish our
souls with effusions of divine
grace.
Amen!
The
Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Gertrude the
Great
(Revelations book III, chapter XVIII)
At
the hour when the soul which has thus
greeted Me quits the body I'll appear to
them in such splendid beauty that they'll
tasted, to their great consolation,
something of the joys of Paradise.
The
History of the Prayer and the Promises
This
prayer was found in the fiftieth year of Our
Lord Jesus Christ. In 1500's it was sent by
the Pope to Emperor Charles when he was
going into battle.
Whoever reads this prayer or hears it or
carries it, will never die a sudden death,
nor be drowned, nor will poison take effect
on them. They will not fall into the hands
of the enemy nor be burned in any fire, nor
will they be defeated in battle.
Make
this prayer known everywhere.
Imprimatur
Most Rev. George W. Ahr
Bishop of Trenton
The picture
above Our Blessed Mother is holding both:
Brown Scapular and the Holy Rosary.
The scapular is Mary's
special garments - a sign and her guarantee
of her motherly, her maternal love and protection.
Fatima has adopted the
brown scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
as a sign of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
During the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima on October 13, 1917,
the Blessed Virgin Mother appeared as Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
On August 15, 1950
Sister Lucia confirms scapular is one of the
conditions of the Fatima Message. Sister Lucia once said that:
"The Rosary and the Brown Scapular are inseparable."
Saying the Holy Rosary and
wearing the Scapular will also protect souls.
---------------------
11/20/11- Prayer of
St. Gertrude, the Great: Each time the prayer is said, the Lord
revealed to her, 1000 souls are released from purgatory.
The Holy Souls Will Repay Us
A Thousand Times Over
Prayer of
St. Gertrude the Great
Our Lord dictated the
following prayer to St. Gertrude the Great to release 1,000
Souls from Purgatory each time it is said.
"Eternal Father, I offer
Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union
with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the
holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in
the universal church, those in my own home and within my family.
Amen."
St. Gertrude's life was
the mystic life of the Cloister
–
a Benedictine nun. She meditated on the Passion of Christ, which
many times brought a flood of tears to her eyes. She did many
penances and Our Lord appeared to her many times. She had a
tender love for the Blessed Virgin and was very devoted to the
suffering souls in Purgatory. She died in 1334. Her feast day is
November 16th.
Approval and
recommendation (sgd.) M. Cardinal Pahiarca at Lisbon, Portugal,
on March 4, 1936.
Now who can be in more urgent need
of our charity than the souls in Purgatory? What hunger, or thirst, or
dire sufferings on Earth can compare to their dreadful torments? Neither
the poor, nor the sick, nor the suffering, we see around us, have such
an urgent need of our help. Yet we find many good-hearted people who
interest themselves in every other type of suffering, but alas! scarcely
one who works for the Holy Souls.
Who can have more claim on us?
Among them too, there may be our mothers and fathers, our friends and
near of kin.
When they are finally released
from their pains and enjoy the beatitude of Heaven, far from forgetting
their friends on earth, their gratitude knows no bounds. Prostrate
before the Throne of God, they never cease to pray for those who helped
them. By their prayers they shield their friends from many dangers and
protect them from the evils that threaten them.
To promote charity toward the poor
souls order and distribute large quantities of these cards.
To have a better
understanding of Purgatory and the terrible sufferings of the
poor souls, order
Purgatory Explained, an
excellent book of 427 pages. Visit our
Store for details.
Reading I - A reading from the book of Proverbs
(Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31):
When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She obtains wool and flax and works with loving hands. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle. She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy. Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her a reward for her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.
Responsorial Psalm - (Psalm 128:1-2, 3,
4-5):
R. (cf. 1a) Blessed are
those who fear the Lord.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those
who fear the Lord.
Reading II - A reading from the first
letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6):
Concerning times and seasons,
brothers and sisters,
you have no need for anything to be written to you.
For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come
like a thief at night.
When people are saying, "Peace and security, "
then sudden disaster comes upon them,
like labor pains upon a pregnant woman,
and they will not escape.
But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness,
for that day to overtake you like a thief.
For all of you are children of the light
and children of the day.
We are not of the night or of darkness.
Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do,
but let us stay alert and sober.
Gospel - A reading from the Holy Gospel
according to St. Matthew (Matthew 25:14-30):
Jesus told his disciples this
parable:
"A man going on a journey
called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--
to each according to his ability.
Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,
and made another five.
Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground
and buried his master's money.
After a long time
the master of those servants came back
and settled accounts with them.
The one who had received five talents came forward
bringing the additional five.
He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents.
See, I have made five more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said,
'Master, you gave me two talents.
See, I have made two more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said,
'Master, I knew you were a demanding person,
harvesting where you did not plant
and gathering where you did not scatter;
so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.
Here it is back.'
His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant!
So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant
and gather where I did not scatter?
Should you not then have put my money in the bank
so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.
For to everyone who has,
more will be given and he will grow rich;
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"
----------------------
11/13/11- Prayer to St.
Joseph - Whoever shall read this prayer or hear
it or keep it about themselves, shall never die a sudden death, or be drowned,
not shall poison take effect of them; neither shall they fall into the hands of
the enemy; or shall be burned in any fire, or shall be overpowered in battle.
"Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so
great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God. I place in you all my
interests and desires. Oh, St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful
intercession, and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So that, having engaged here below your heavenly
power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.
Oh, St. Joseph, I never weary of
contemplating you, and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He
reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me and
ask him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of
departing souls - Pray for me. "
This prayer was found in the fifteenth
year of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In 1505 it was sent from the Pope to
Emperor Charles when he was going into battle. Whoever shall read this prayer or
hear it or keep it about themselves, shall never die a sudden death, or be
drowned, nor shall poison take effect of them; neither shall they fall into the
hands of the enemy; or shall be burned in any fire, or shall be overpowered in
battle.
Say for nine mornings for anything you
may desire. It has never been known to fail, so be sure you really want what you
ask.
Sunday,
November 6, 2011: (THIRTY-SECOND
SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME)
Readings for today: Wisdom 6:12-16 / 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
/ Matthew 25:1-13:
Copied without permission from:
Reading I - A reading from the book of Wisdom
(Wisdom 6:12-16):
Resplendent and unfading is wisdom,
and she is readily perceived by those who love her,
and found by those who seek her.
She hastens to make herself known in anticipation of their desire;
Whoever watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed,
for he shall find her sitting by his gate.
For taking thought of wisdom is the perfection of prudence,
and whoever for her sake keeps vigil
shall quickly be free from care;
because she makes her own rounds, seeking those worthy of her,
and graciously appears to them in the ways,
and meets them with all solicitude.
Responsorial Psalm - (Psalm 63:2, 3-4,
5-6, 7-8):
R. (2b) My soul is thirsting
for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my
God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my
God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my
God.
I will remember you upon my couch,
and through the night-watches I will meditate on you:
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord
my God.
Reading II - A reading from the first
letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18):
We do not want you to be unaware,
brothers and sisters,
about those who have fallen asleep,
so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose,
so too will God, through Jesus,
bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord,
that we who are alive,
who are left until the coming of the Lord,
will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself, with a word of command,
with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God,
will come down from heaven,
and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive, who are left,
will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air.
Thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore, console one another with these words.
Gospel - A reading from the Holy Gospel
according to St. Matthew (Matthew 25:1-13):
Jesus told his disciples this
parable:
"The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
'Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.'
But the wise ones replied,
'No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.'
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'
But he said in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour."
----------------------
11/06/11- St. Raphael the
Archangel:
Feastday:
September 29
Patron of Travelers
St.
Raphael is one of seven Archangels who stand
before the
throne of the Lord.
He was sent by
God to help Tobit, Tobiah and Sarah. At the
time,
Tobit was blind and Tobiah's betrothed,
Sarah, had had seven bridegrooms perish
on the night of their weddings.
Raphael accompanied Tobiah into Media disguised
as a
man named Azariah.
Raphael helped him through his difficulties and
taught him how to safely enter marriage with Sarah.
Tobiah said that
Raphael caused him to have his wife and that he
gave joy to Sarah's
parents for driving out the
evil
spirit in her.
He also gave
Raphael credit for his father's seeing the
light of
heaven and for receiving all
good things through his intercession.
Besides Raphael, Michael and Gabriel are
the only Archangels mentioned by name in the bible. Raphael's name means "God
heals."
This identity came about because of the
biblical story which claims that he "healed" the earth when it was defiled by
the sins of the
fallen
angels
in the apocryphal book of Enoch.
Raphael is also identified as the
angel who moved the waters of the healing sheep
pool.
He is also the patron of the blind, of
happy meetings, of nurses, of physicians and of travelers. His
feast day
is celebrated on September 29th.
Wednesday,
November 2, 2011: (THE
COMMEMORATION OF THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED (ALL SOULS))
Readings for today: Wisdom 3:1-9 / Romans 5:5-11 /
John 6:37-40:
Reading I - A reading from the book of Wisdom
(Wisdom 3:1-9):
The souls of the just are in the
hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
they shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the LORD shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect.
Responsorial Psalm - (Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4.
5. 6):
R. (1)
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I
shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I
shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I
shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I
shall want.
Reading II - A reading from the letter of
St. Paul to the Romans (Romans 5:5-11):
Hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.
Not only that,
but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Gospel - A reading from the Holy Gospel
according to St. John (John 6:37-40):
Jesus said to the crowds:
"Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day."
Tuesday,
November 1, 2011: (SOLEMNITY OF
ALL SAINTS)
Readings for today: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 / 1 John 3:1-3
/ Matthew 5:1-12a:
Reading I - A reading from the book of Revelation
(Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14):
I, John, saw another angel come up
from the East,
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels
who were given power to damage the land and the sea,
"Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees
until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."
I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,
one hundred and forty-four thousand marked
from every tribe of the children of Israel.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb."
All the angels stood around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed:
"Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen."
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
"Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?"
I said to him, "My lord, you are the one who knows."
He said to me,
"These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the
people that longs to see your face.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people
that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the
LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R.
Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the
LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs
to see your face.
Reading II - A reading from the first
letter of St. John (1 John 3:1-3):
Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God's children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.
Gospel - A reading from the Holy Gospel
according to St. Matthew (Matthew 5:1-12a):
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went
up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven."
------------------------
11/01/11- Seattle
"Superhero" Avoids Assault Charges For Now:
Phoenix Jones might be off the hook
for assault charges.
The city attorney declined to file
charges against Seattle's self-proclaimed superhero on Thursday, but did say
that the investigation is on-going.
During the hearing, a court officer
asked Jones to remove his mask and he complied. He wore his superhero
uniform under a button-down shirt.
Prosecutors told a judge they would
need more time to decide whether to file charges in the case.
Outside the courthouse, Jones
declared, "I am Phoenix Jones, I am also Ben Fodor. I am just like everybody
else. The only difference is that I try to stop crime."
He then said he'd be out patrolling
Thursday night and invited city leaders to 1st Ave. and Pike St. for a meet
up on Saturday night.
Fodor, 23, was arrested Saturday for
investigation of assault after allegedly using pepper spray to break up a
fight in downtown Seattle.
A woman, who wishes to be identified
as Maria and was involved in the incident is "furious" over the outcome.
She told Ross and Burbank on
Thursday no one ever contacted her for a statement or to file a report.
Maria claimed she continued calling police, but they kept telling her "it's
in review."
Maria can be seen hitting Fodor with
one of her shoes. She said there was no reason for him to interject because
there was never a fight. She did admit that one man did get pushed, but
nothing serious was going on. "This stuff happens all the time if you're in
downtown Seattle, but there wasn't going to be anything too violent going on
there."
Maria said even if there were, she
still doesn't think Jones acted appropriately. "He had no right to just step
in and pepper spray anyone."
Jones says he's sure someone was
being hurt and needed his help.
In an interview with John Curley,
Jones explained why he's willing to put himself in harm's way.
"If someone gets hurt, it probably
should be me, rather than the average person. All of us are wearing bullet
proofs, all of us have taken some sort of self defense training class. We
all call 911 the minute the crime happens," he said.
Reading I - A reading from the book of the
Prophet Malachi (Malachi 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10):
A great King am I, says the LORD of
hosts,
and my name will be feared among the nations.
And now, O priests, this commandment is for you:
If you do not listen,
if you do not lay it to heart,
to give glory to my name, says the LORD of hosts,
I will send a curse upon you
and of your blessing I will make a curse.
You have turned aside from the way,
and have caused many to falter by your instruction;
you have made void the covenant of Levi,
says the LORD of hosts.
I, therefore, have made you contemptible
and base before all the people,
since you do not keep my ways,
but show partiality in your decisions.
Have we not all the one father?
Has not the one God created us?
Why then do we break faith with one another,
violating the covenant of our fathers?
Responsorial Psalm - (Psalm 131:1, 2, 3):
R. In you, Lord, I have
found my peace.
O LORD, my heart is not proud,
nor are my eyes haughty;
I busy not myself with great things,
nor with things too sublime for me.
R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother's lap,
so is my soul within me.
R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
O Israel, hope in the LORD,
both now and forever.
R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
Reading II - A reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians (1
Thessalonians 2:7b-9, 13):
Brothers and sisters:
We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children.
With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you
not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well,
so dearly beloved had you become to us.
You recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery.
Working night and day in order not to burden any of you,
we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
And for this reason we too give thanks to God unceasingly,
that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us,
you received not a human word but, as it truly is, the word of God,
which is now at work in you who believe.
Gospel - A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew (Matthew
23:1-12):
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his
disciples, saying,
"The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people's shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.'
As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.'
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called 'Master';
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
--------------------
10/30/11- Secrets of
Fatima (Secret #3):
Scroll down halfway to see #3.
Reading I - A reading from the book of
Exodus (Exodus 22:20-26):
Thus says the LORD:
"You shall not molest or oppress an alien,
for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.
You shall not wrong any widow or orphan.
If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me,
I will surely hear their cry.
My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword;
then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans.
"If you lend money to one of your poor neighbors among my people,
you shall not act like an extortioner toward him
by demanding interest from him.
If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge,
you shall return it to him before sunset;
for this cloak of his is the only covering he has for his body.
What else has he to sleep in?
If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate."
Responsorial Psalm - (Psalm 18:2-3, 3-4,
47, 51):
R. (2)
I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
R. I
love you, Lord, my strength.
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.
R. I
love you, Lord, my strength.
The LORD lives and blessed be my
rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
Reading II - A reading from the first
letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10):
Brothers and sisters:
You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake.
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord,
receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the Holy Spirit,
so that you became a model for all the believers
in Macedonia and in Achaia.
For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth
not only in Macedonia and in Achaia,
but in every place your faith in God has gone forth,
so that we have no need to say anything.
For they themselves openly declare about us
what sort of reception we had among you,
and how you turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God
and to await his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead,
Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.
Gospel - A reading from the holy gospel
according to St. Matthew (Matthew 22:34-40):
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had
silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law tested him by asking,
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"
He said to him,
"You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."
After a burst appendix nearly
cost 4-year-old Colton Burpo his life in 2003, his parents were thankful
just to have him alive and well. But when he opened up about his brush
with death a few months later, they were shocked when he described a
very vivid trip to heaven, and spoke of matters about which he had no
apparent way of knowing.
During an automobile trip, when
Sonja Burpo asked him about his memories of being in the hospital,
little Colton replied: “Yes, Mommy, I remember — that’s where the angels
sang to me.” A sweet answer, to be sure — but then Colton made his
parents’ jaws drop when he told them about sitting in Jesus’ lap,
watching his parents while he lay seemingly near death, and meeting his
great-grandfather.
But most poignantly, Colton
described meeting a sibling in heaven — even though he had no way of
knowing that his mother had miscarried two years before he was born,
since his parents had never told him.
Jesus and John the Baptist Todd Burpo began
telling of his son’s heaven-sent visions from the pulpit of the
Crossroads Wesleyan Church in Imperial, Neb., where he serves as pastor.
Word of mouth spread, and the family landed a book deal. The book —
“Heaven Is for Real,” written by Todd with co-writer Lynn Vincent — has
become a best-seller, with some 1.5 million copies in print since its
release in November.
Read an excerpt from
‘Heaven Is for Real’
Appearing live on TODAY Monday with Sonja and Colton, who’s now 11, Todd
told Matt Lauer he understands that naysayers may believe Colton’s story
is a little too heavenly to be true — initially, so did he and Sonja.
“At first we were surprised; we never anticipated to talk to our son
about these things,” Todd told Matt Lauer.
“We didn’t share at first, and
then once we started sharing, people were amazed,” Sonja Burpo added.
“They were encouraged by what we were sharing with them.”
Colton was stricken with
appendicitis shortly before his fourth birthday. Family guilt was heavy
— for five days he lay getting sicker and sicker with what the family
believed was stomach flu, which had previously hit Colton’s older sister
Cassie.
Little Colton nearly didn’t make
it: He lay in a hospital bed for 17 days. When he finally rallied, the
family rejoiced — but they were floored when, months later, the boy
began matter-of-factly describing what he had experienced when he was in
between life and death: seeing Jesus dressed in royal purple, meeting
John the Baptist, having angels sing to him to ease his anxiety.
The Burpos believed these were
things Colton could have gleaned from his Bible studies. But he also
told his mother he saw her talking on the phone in another room while he
was having surgery, and saw his father praying in a small room, all
while he was seated in Jesus’ lap.
“What caught my attention was he
could tell me where I was while he was in surgery,” Todd told Lauer.
“The surgeon couldn’t tell me that, the nurses couldn’t, my wife
couldn’t tell me where I was praying. But he could tell me.”
Shocking revelation Colton also
spoke of meeting a long-departed relative in heaven, telling NBC News:
“I was just sitting by the Holy Spirit and then this guy comes up to me
and says, ‘Are you Todd’s son?’ I say yes, and he says, ‘Well, I’m his
grandfather.’ ”
Colton said that everyone in
heaven has wings. On Monday, he described his great-grandfather “Pops”
as being “very big, huge wings, curly hair, a big smile, and he was very
nice.”
But the real shocker came when
Colton told his mother, “Mommy, I have two sisters.” Sonja told her son
that he had to be referring to his oldest sister, Cassie, and his cousin
Traci, but he responded: “No — I have two sisters. You had a baby die in
your tummy, didn’t you?”
Sonja told Lauer the family had
never uttered a word about the miscarriage to Colton — and what’s more,
they never even learned the sex of their miscarried child. “It was a
private hurt that we didn’t even share with our friends,” Sonja said,
adding Colton’s revelation was at first “shocking, but then a relief
that she’s OK, which we didn’t know she was a she.”
In a subsequent TODAY segment
Monday, Sonja filled in Colton’s description of his meeting with his
sister: “He told us what she looked like, and she wouldn’t stop hugging
him. And she doesn’t have a name.”
“When he told us about his
sister in heaven, that we hadn’t told him about, [it was] another one of
those ‘holy cow’ moments — OK, he can’t make this stuff up, he can’t
invent this; no memory was planted,” Todd told Lauer. “But the peace
that came over us, and the healing, like, ‘Wow, I have a daughter in
heaven waiting for me’ — I think a lot of people need that type of hope
and healing, too. And I think that’s what a lot of people are finding
when they hear Colton’s testimony, to know what they have to look
forward to.”
When Lauer asked Colton what
heaven looked like, the 11-year-old replied, “Well, there’s a lot of
color. There are a lot of people and a lot of angels.”
In his second segment later on
Monday, Colton gave Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb some additional
details — such as the fact that there are no old people in heaven.
“Nobody wears glasses, [and] you’re in like your 20s, 30s.”
Todd Burpo told The New York
Times that the family is donating much of the money they make from the
book sales. As for Colton, he’s mostly happy his story is helping
people.
“People are getting blessed, and
they’re going to have healing from their hurts,” the boy told the New
York Times. “I’m happy for that.”
Reading I - A reading from the book of the
Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 45:1, 4-6):
Thus says the LORD to his
anointed, Cyrus,
whose right hand I grasp,
subduing nations before him,
and making kings run in his service,
opening doors before him
and leaving the gates unbarred:
For the sake of Jacob, my servant,
of Israel, my chosen one,
I have called you by your name,
giving you a title, though you knew me not.
I am the LORD and there is no other,
there is no God besides me.
It is I who arm you, though you know me not,
so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun
people may know that there is none besides me.
I am the LORD, there is no other.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Give the Lord glory and honor.
For great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
awesome is he, beyond all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are things of nought,
but the LORD made the heavens.
R. Give the Lord glory and honor.
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
Bring gifts, and enter his courts.
R. Give the Lord glory and honor.
Worship the LORD, in holy attire;
tremble before him, all the earth;
say among the nations: The LORD is king,
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. Give the Lord glory and honor.
Reading II - A reading from the first
letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b):
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy
to the church of the Thessalonians
in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
grace to you and peace.
We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers,
unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love
and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,
before our God and Father,
knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God,
how you were chosen.
For our gospel did not come to you in word alone,
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.
The Pharisees went off
and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,
"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion,
for you do not regard a person's status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"
Knowing their malice, Jesus said,
"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax."
Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar's."
At that he said to them,
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."
Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
***
"The Lord's Prayer "is truly the summary of the whole gospel." "Since the
Lord...after handling over the practice of prayer, said elsewhere, 'Ask and you
will receive,' and since everyone has petitions which are peculiar to his
circumstances, the regular and appropriate prayer (the Lord's Prayer) is said
first, as the foundation of further desires."
- Tertullian, De orat.
from the Catechism of the Catholic Church; 2761.
Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
***
"Beginning with Mary's unique cooperation with the working of the Holy
Spirit, the Churches developed their prayer to the holy Mother of God, centering
it on the Person of Christ manifested in His mysteries. In countless hymns and
antiphons expressing this prayer, two movements usually alternate with one
another: the first "magnifies" the Lord for the "great things" He did for His
lowly servant and through her for all human beings. The second entrusts the
supplications and praises of the children of God to the Mother of Jesus, because
she now knows the humanity which, in her, the Son of God espoused."
- from the Catechism of the Catholic Church; 2675.
***
Glory Be:
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
***
Prayer to St. Michael the
Archangel:
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen..
***
O glorious prince St. Michael,
chief and commander of the heavenly hosts,
guardian of souls, vanquisher of rebel spirits,
servant in the house of the Divine King
and our admirable conductor,
you who shine with excellence
and superhuman virtue deliver us from all evil
, who turn to you with confidence
and enable us by your gracious protection
to serve God more and more faithfully every day.
***
Prayer to Your
Guardian Angel:
Angel of God,
my guardian dear,
To whom God's love
commits me here,
Ever this day,
be at my side,
To light and guard,
Rule and guide.
Amen.
***
"From infancy to death human life is
surrounded by their (the angels) watchful care and intercession. Beside each
believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.
Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed
company of angels and men united to God."
Reading I - A reading from the book of the Prophet
Isaiah (Isaiah 25:6-10a):
On this mountain the LORD of
hosts
will provide for all peoples
a feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
the web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from every face;
the reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
"Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!"
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.
R.
(6cd) I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of
my life.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. I shall live in the house of the
Lord all the days of my life.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. I shall live in the house of the
Lord all the days of my life.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. I shall live in the house of the
Lord all the days of my life.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. I shall live in the
house of the Lord all the days of my life.
Reading II - A reading from the letter of
St. Paul to the Philippians (Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20):
Brothers and sisters:
I know how to live in humble circumstances;
I know also how to live with abundance.
In every circumstance and in all things
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry,
of living in abundance and of being in need.
I can do all things in him who strengthens me.
Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.
My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
To our God and Father, glory forever and ever. Amen.
Gospel - A reading from the Holy Gospel
according to St. Matthew (Matthew 22:1-14):
Jesus again in reply spoke to the
chief priests and elders of the people
in parables, saying,
"The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants
to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
"Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast."'
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.'
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests,
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
The king said to him, 'My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?'
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'
Many are invited, but few are chosen."
One day, Saint Michael the
Archangel appeared to Antonia d'Astonac, a most devout Servant of God
and told her that he wished to be honoured by nine salutations
corresponding to the nine Choirs of Angels, which should consist of one
Our Father and three Hail Marys in honour of each of the Angelic Choirs.
Promises of St. Michael
"Whoever would practice
this devotion in his honour would have, when approaching the Holy
Table, an escort of nine angels chosen from each of the nine Choirs.
In addition, for the daily recital of these nine salutations, he
promised his continual assistance and that all the holy angels
during life, and after death deliverance from Purgatory for
themselves and all their relations."
How to pray
the Chaplet of Michael Archangel
The Chaplet is begun by saying the following invocation on the medal:
"O God, come to my assistance!
O Lord, make haste to help me! Glory
Be...
Say 1
Our Father... and 3
Hail Mary... after each of the following nine salutations in honour of
the nine Choir of Angels.
1.
"By the intercession of St. Michael
and the Celestial choir of Seraphim,
may the Lord make us worthy
to burn with the fire of perfect charity.
Amen."
"By the intercession of St. Michael
and the Celestial choir of Cherubim,
may the Lord vouchsafe to grant us grace
to leave the ways of wickedness
and run in the paths of Christian perfection.
Amen."
"By the intercession of St. Michael
and the Celestial choir of Thrones,
may the Lord infuse into our hearts
a true and sincere spirit of humility.
Amen."
"By the intercession of St. Michael
and the Celestial choir of Dominions,
may the Lord give us grace
to govern our senses
and subdue our unruly passions.
Amen."
"By the intercession of St. Michael
and the Celestial choir of Powers,
may the Lord vouchsafe to protect our souls
against the snares and temptations of the devil.
Amen."
"By the intercession of St. Michael
and the Celestial choir of Virtues,
may the Lord preserve us from evil,
an suffer us not to fall into temptation.
Amen."
"By the intercession of St. Michael
and the Celestial choir of Archangels,
may the Lord give us perseverance in faith
and in good works,
in order that we gain the glory of Paradise.
Amen."
"By the intercession of St. Michael
and the Celestial choir of Angels,
may the Lord grant us to be protected by them
in this mortal life
and conducted hereafter to eternal glory.
Amen."
At the end, say 1
Our Father... on each of the 4 beads in honour of each of the following
leading Angels: St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, our Guardian Angel.
The Chaplet is concluded with the following prayers:
"O glorious Prince St. Michael,
chief and commander of the heavenly hosts,
guardian of souls,
vanquisher of rebel spirits,
servant in the house of the Divine King,
and our admirable conductor,
thou who dost shine with excellence and superhuman virtue,
vouchsafe to deliver us from all evil,
who turn to thee with confidence,
and enable us by thy gracious protection
to serve God more and more faithfully every day.
Amen."
V. Pray for us, O Glorious St. Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus
Christ.
R. That we may be made worthy of His Promises.
Prayer
"Almighty and everlasting God,
who by a prodigy of Goodness
and a merciful desire
for the salvation of all men,
has appointed the most glorious Archangel St. Michael,
Prince of Thy Church,
make us worthy,
we beseech Thee,
to be delivered by his powerful protection
from all our enemies,
that none of them may harass us
at the hour of our death,
but that we may be conducted by him
into the august presence of Thy Divine Majesty.
This we beg through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen."
Sunday,
October 2, 2011: (TWENTY-SEVENTH
SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME)
Readings for today: Isaiah 5:1-7 / Philippians 4:6-9 /
Matthew 21:33-43:
Reading I - A reading from the book of the Prophet
Isaiah (Isaiah 5:1-7):
Let me now sing of my friend,
my friend's song concerning his vineyard.
My friend had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside;
he spaded it, cleared it of stones,
and planted the choicest vines;
within it he built a watchtower,
and hewed out a wine press.
Then he looked for the crop of grapes,
but what it yielded was wild grapes.
Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard:
What more was there to do for my vineyard
that I had not done?
Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes,
did it bring forth wild grapes?
Now, I will let you know
what I mean to do with my vineyard:
take away its hedge, give it to grazing,
break through its wall, let it be trampled!
Yes, I will make it a ruin:
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
but overgrown with thorns and briers;
I will command the clouds
not to send rain upon it.
The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah are his cherished plant;
he looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed!
for justice, but hark, the outcry!
R. (Is 5:7a) The vineyard of the Lord is the
house of Israel.
A vine from Egypt you transplanted;
you drove away the nations and planted it.
It put forth its foliage to the Sea,
its shoots as far as the River.
R. The vineyard of the Lord is the
house of Israel.
Why have you broken down its walls,
so that every passer-by plucks its fruit,
The boar from the forest lays it waste,
and the beasts of the field feed upon it?
R. The vineyard of the Lord is the
house of Israel.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. The vineyard of the Lord is the
house of Israel.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
O LORD, God of hosts, restore us;
if your face shine upon us, then we shall be saved.
R. The vineyard of the Lord is the
house of Israel.
Reading II - A reading from the letter of
St. Paul to the Philippians (Philippians 4:6-9):
Brothers and sisters:
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me.
Then the God of peace will be with you.
Gospel - A reading from the holy Gospel
according to St. Matthew (Matthew 21:33-43):
Jesus said to the chief priests and
the elders of the people:
"Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking,
'They will respect my son.'
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.'
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"
They answered him,
"He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times."
Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the
builders rejected has become the
cornerstone; by the Lord has this been
done, and it is wonderful in
our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit."
R. (22) Lord, let your mercy
be on us, as we place our trust in you.
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. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place
our trust in you.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place
our trust in you.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we
place our trust in you.
Reading II - A reading from the second letter of St. Paul to Timothy (2 Timothy
1:8b-10):
7
He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but
according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before
time began,
but now made manifest through the
appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel.
Gospel - A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew (Matthew
17:1-9):
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
"Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents
5
here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
While he was still speaking, behold, a
bright cloud cast a shadow over them,
6
then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I
am well pleased; listen to him."
8
As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, "Do not tell the
vision
9
to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
--------------------
03/20/11- The
Incorruptible Body of St. Padre Pio:
EXPONEN EL CUERPO INCORRUPTO DEL PADRE PIO, MUERTO HACE 40 AÑOS
SHOWING OF THE INCORRUPTIBLE BODY OF
ST. PADRE PIO, DEAD 40 YEARS
El 23 de Setiembre es día del Santo Padre Pío de Pietrancina, día de grandes bendiciones,
September 23, feast day of St. Padre Pio de Pietrancina, day of great benediction,
No se realizó momificación alguna (de todas formas, ningún proceso de momificación logra este tipo de preservación)…
He was never mummified in any way (of any kind, and no processs of preservation for the dead)
Santo Padre Pío: ¡ruega por nosotros!
Saint Padre Pio: Pray for us!
La verdad, uno ve éstas imágenes y se pone a pensar: después de tantos años, es un milagro de Dios, porque solo Él puede hacer estas cosas.
The truth is, when one sees these images, and begins to think: after so many years, it's a miracle from God, because only He has the ability to do these things.
El P. Pío está disfrutando de la Gloria Eterna después de tantos sufrimientos (único sacerdote conocido que sufrió los estigmas visibles de la Pasión).
He is enjoying the glory after so much suffering (and the only priest known to suffer visible stigmata of the Passion).
Está científicamente documentado que no fueron autoinfligidas como quiere hacer creer la prensa en manos del enemigoego.
It is scientifically documented that were not self-inflicted as he wants to believe the press in the hands of the enemy.
Que sepamos ofrecer a Dios, amor.
To our knowledge offered to God in reparation for our sins, our cross each day ...
Invirtamos biennuestra vida: pongamos la esperanza en los bienes incorruptibles! Bienes del alma
While we invest our lives: let us hope for incorruptible goods! Nada nos podremos llevar a la Vida eterna, nada quedará, sólo la Caridad que hayamos volcado en cada segundo…
Nothing can bring us eternal life, nothing will remain, only the charity you've put in every second ...
Out of the ground the LORD God made
various trees grow that were delightful to look at and good for food, with the
tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good
and bad.
Now the serpent was the most cunning of
all the animals that the LORD God had made. The serpent asked the woman, "Did
God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?"
The woman saw that the tree was good for
food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some
of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with
her, and he ate it.
Then the eyes of both of them were
opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves
together and made loincloths for themselves.
R. (cf. 3a) Be merciful, O
Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have
sinned.
Reading II - A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans (Romans
5:12-19):
But death reigned from Adam to Moses,
even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who
is the type of the one who was to come.
But the gift is not like the
transgression. For if by that one person's transgression the many died, how much
more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ
overflow for the many.
And the gift is not like the result of
the one person's sinning. For after one sin there was the judgment that brought
condemnation; but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal.
For if, by the transgression of one
person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who
receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in
life through the one person Jesus Christ.
and said to him, "If you are the Son of
God, throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels
concerning you and 'with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your
foot against a stone.'"
Then the devil left him and, behold,
angels came and ministered to him.
---------------
My
computer broke down after the First Sunday of Advent. Go to
www.usccb.org and click on
readings to catch up...but they only go back to Feb. 1, 2011.
---------------
03/13/11 - You Don't Need
Super Powers to Watch Your Own Streets:
Here's an article about people all over
the country who are donning their own costumes to take to protecting their
streets, even if it just means watching them, and even if they're retired or
just 5 years old. Read about these selfless people.
Here's the first couple of paragraphs of the article:
Costumed crusaders taking it to the streets
But Real
Life Superheroes don't have superpowers and most don't fight crime
Theodore James Productions
The Vigilante Spider, who
has spent 11 years performing acts of goodness around San Diego,
is a member of the Real Life Superheroes. The group has nearly 60
members, who don tights, cloaks and cowls to spread the message that
'everybody can make a difference.' Here he's shown in a new
documentary, "Superheroes."
By
Jim GoldReporter
msnbc.com msnbc.com
updated
2/14/2011 6:57:43 PM ET
2011-02-14T23:57:43
Crusaders costumed in
tights, capes, cowls and other accoutrements are turning up with
surprising regularity in American cities to fight what they consider
their biggest enemy: public apathy.
They call themselves
superheroes and, with names like Dark Guardian, Red Dragon and
Viper, they might be right at home on the pages of comic books. But
unlike their ink-and-paper counterparts, they can’t fly, vanish into
thin air or outrun a speeding locomotive. And they usually are armed
with nothing more than good intentions — and maybe a camera and cell
phone.
For the most part, they
don’t really fight crime either. Most take on missions to help the
homeless, raise money for charity or just lend an ear so someone in
trouble knows they care. (Read
full article at link above pic and headline)
![[O]](http://www.medjugorje.ws/data/olm/images/__mt/nw.gif)
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