Daily Readings August 1, 2012

USCCB »  Bible »  « July 31 | August 2 »

Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, bishop and doctor of the Church

St. Alphonsus Marie Liguori wrote a book called "The Glories of Mary".   The first time I read that book, I thought to myself, "This man goes too far in his assessment of Mary."  But, after many yearsof studying Scripture and Catholic doctrine, , I read it again and I can honestly say, with clear conscience, that he is "spot on" concerning the reverence every Catholic, every Christian, should hold towards Mary.

Lectionary: 403

Reading 1 Jer 15:10, 16-21

Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth!

I rue the day that I was born.

a man of strife and contention to all the land!

Because I fought evil with righeousness.

I neither borrow nor lend, yet all curse me.

I neither took people's money nor gave mine away, yet all hate me.

When I found your words, I devoured them;

When I found your words, O God, I ate them up.

they became my joy and the happiness of my heart,

Your words are my life, O Lord.

Because I bore your name,

Because I am your son, O God.

O LORD, God of hosts.  I did not sit celebrating
in the circle of merrymakers;

O my God, I did not rejoice

Under the weight of your hand I sat alone

When your punishment came upon us, I was alone.

because you filled me with indignation.

Because I don't understand what I have done to deserve this punishment.

Why is my pain continuous, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?

I have done all you commanded, yet I suffer like the sinners.

You have indeed become for me a treacherous brook, whose waters do not abide!

How can I trust what you say.

Thus the LORD answered me: If you repent, so that I restore you,
in my presence you shall stand;

And God responded to me and said, "Repent and you shall stand in my presence."

If you bring forth the precious without the vile, you shall be my mouthpiece.

If you preach the good without bringing forth hate speech, you shall be my representative.

Then it shall be they who turn to you, and you shall not turn to them;

Then Israel will turn to you and you will refuse them.

And I will make you toward this people a solid wall of brass.

And I, the Lord, will make you unassailable.  Like a wall of metal.

Though they fight against you, they shall not prevail,
For I am with you,

No matter how hard they fight against you, I will be with you.

to deliver and rescue you, says the LORD.
I will free you from the hand of the wicked,

To defend you, protect you and set you free from the wicked.

and rescue you from the grasp of the violent.

and to rescue you from those who would do you harm.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 59:2-3, 4, 10-11, 17, 18

R. (17d) God is my refuge on the day of distress.

Rescue me from my enemies, O my God;
from my adversaries defend me.
Rescue me from evildoers;
from bloodthirsty men save me.

R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
mighty men come together against me,
Not for any offense or sin of mine, O LORD.

R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

O my strength! for you I watch;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
As for my God, may his mercy go before me;
may he show me the fall of my foes.

R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

But I will sing of your strength
and revel at dawn in your mercy;
You have been my stronghold,
my refuge in the day of distress.

R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

O my strength! your praise will I sing;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
my merciful God!

R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

In this Psalm, the faithful man calls out to God in distress.  For to the faith filled man, God is our stronghold, our deliverer and our hope.  Our Saviour.

Gospel Mt 13:44-46

Jesus said to his disciples:

Jesus presented another parable to His disciples.

"The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,

The Church is like a hidden treasure hidden in a parcel of land, which a man finds and hides again.

and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

and out of joy goes out and sells all his possessions in order to buy that land and possess that treasure.

Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant

Another parable.  The Church is like a business man,

searching for fine pearls.

searching for fine jewels.

When he finds a pearl of great price,

and he finds the most precious of jewels

he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."

and goes and sells all his possessions in order that he may possess it.

I have interpreted the Kingdom of Heaven as the Church, because the Church is the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Lighthouse Catholic Media

The theory of the Big Bang proves the existence of God

If it is true, the Theory of the Big Bang proves the existence of God. 1. The theory of the Big Bang corresponds very well with Scripture. First there was nothing then God brought the universe into existence. This is the only logical conclusion we can derive from the evidence. 2. Since only more nothing can come from nothing, the Big Bang is completely illogical without the existence of God to cause it. Sincerely, De Maria

Daily Readings July 31, 2012

USCCB » Bible » « July 30 | August 1 »Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Lectionary: 402

Reading 1 Jer 14:17-22

Let my eyes stream with tears day and night, without rest,

Day and night may I cry

Over the great destruction which overwhelms the virgin daughter of my people,

over the great destruction which has overcome my people

over her incurable wound.

A wound which will not heal.

If I walk out into the field, look! those slain by the sword;

If I walk into the farmland, I see those killed in warfare.

If I enter the city,look! those consumed by hunger.

If I go into the city, I see those who starved to death.

Even the prophet and the priest forage in a land they know not.

Even the prophet and the priest, those closest to God, find themselves in strange lands.

Have you cast Judah off completely?

God!  Have you abandoned the Jewish people completely?

Is Zion loathsome to you?

Do you hate the country surrounding Mt. Zion?

Why have you struck us a blow that cannot be healed?

Why God?  Why have you punished us so severely?

We wait for peace, to no avail;

We await peace, but it does not come.

for a time of healing, but terror comes instead.

We look for healing, but instead, we are terrorized.

We recognize, O LORD, our wickedness,

We now have come to realize our sins.

the guilt of our fathers;

And the sins of our fathers.

that we have sinned against you.

We recognize that we have sinned against you.

For your name's sake spurn us not,

But for your own Name, please don't turn away from us.

disgrace not the throne of your glory;

Do not disgrace your own Throne.

remember your covenant with us, and break it not.

For remember that you said you loved us and we were yours.

Among the nations' idols is there any that gives rain?

There is no God like you.  The idols of the nations can't even produce the rain.

Or can the mere heavens send showers?

And the sky is merely a creature which does not send rain.

Is it not you alone, O LORD,

But you send it.  You alone provide the rain and every blessing.

our God, to whom we look?

You to whom we look for our hope.

You alone have done all these things.

You, alone God, have done all these things.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 79:8, 9, 11 And 13

Response. (9) For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.

R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name's sake.

R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Let the prisoners' sighing come before you;
with your great power free those doomed to death.
Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
through all generations we will declare your praise.

R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

The Psalm asks God not to punish us for our sins and to forgive us.  In return, we will amend our ways and give thanks to Him forever.   In Catholic terms, giving thanks entails attending Mass and participating in Communion.

Gospel Mt 13:36-43

Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house.

Jesus sent all the people away and went into someone's house.

His disciples approached him and said,
"Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."

The Apostles asked Him to explain the parable of the sower.

He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.

He explained, "I, the Son of Man, is He who sows the field.  The field represents the world.  The good seed are the Children of my Kingdom.

The weeds are the children of the Evil One,
and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.

The weeds are the children of the Devil.

The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

The harvest is the end of the world and the harvesters are the angels.

Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

Just as a farmer burns up weeds at the harvest, so it will be at the end of the age.

The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.  They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

I will send my angels to the world and they will find all the evil doers and cast them into the fire.

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father.  Whoever has ears ought to hear."


Then, all they who obey me and keep the Commandments will shine like the Sun.


Note again how the Protestant doctrine of the "Rapture" is tossed on its head.  Those who will be "raptured" first will be the sinners.  They will be taken away and cast in the fire.  The Righteous will remain and meet the Lord in the clouds.


Sincerely,


De Maria

Relax and get a cup of coffee

Why did the Big Bang, bang?

Why did the Big Bang bang?
After the Big Bang banged, how did we obtain order in the universe?
After the Big Bang banged, how did we get life in the universe?
After the Big Bang banged, how did we get intelligence in the universe?

Obviously, in order for any of these things to happen, an intelligent Creator had to put it all in motion. Otherwise there is absolutely no chance that anything would have happened.

In other words, you are replacing an intelligent God with an unintelligent universe. But an unintelligent universe can't produce either intelligence or order.

And besides, according to science, the evidence points to the creation of the Universe in an event such as the Big Bang. According to Science, the universe had a beginning. And the theory that most makes sense is the Big Bang.

But the Big Bang could not have happened if an Intelligent Creator did not produce it. Otherwise, there is absolutely no reason why any singularity would appear out of nothing. And there is absolutely no reason why any singularity would have simply exploded for no reason.

Nothing from nothing brings nothing.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Daily Readings July 30, 2012

USCCB » Bible » « July 29 | July 31 »

Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 401

Reading 1 Jer 13:1-11

The LORD said to me: Go buy yourself a linen loincloth;
wear it on your loins, but do not put it in water.

God said to Jeremiah, go buy yourself a loincloth.  That is, some briefs.  Underwear which covers the crotch area.

He says, wear them and but don't wash them.

I bought the loincloth, as the LORD commanded, and put it on.

Jeremiah did as the Lord said.

A second time the word of the LORD came to me thus:
Take the loincloth which you bought and are wearing,
and go now to the Parath;
there hide it in a cleft of the rock.

God spoke to Jeremiah again.  He said, take those briefs you are wearing and place them under a rock in a place called "the Parath".  Some say it is the same as the river called the "Euphrates".

Obedient to the LORD's command, I went to the Parath
and buried the loincloth.

Jeremiah did as God commanded.

After a long interval, the LORD said to me:
Go now to the Parath and fetch the loincloth
which I told you to hide there.

Then, after a long time, God said to Jeremiah, "Go fettch those briefs."

Again I went to the Parath, sought out and took the loincloth
from the place where I had hid it.
But it was rotted, good for nothing!

So Jeremiah did.  But the briefs were rotted and good for nothing.

Then the message came to me from the LORD:
Thus says the LORD:

Then God spoke to Jeremiah again.

So also I will allow the pride of Judah to rot,
the great pride of Jerusalem.

This is how the Jews will rot.  Just like this set of briefs.

This wicked people who refuse to obey my words,
who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts,
and follow strange gods to serve and adore them,

Because they are wicked and do not obey my words and walk in stubbornness of heart and follow strange gods to serve and adore them.

shall be like this loincloth which is good for nothing.

Therefore, they shall be like this set of briefs.

For, as close as the loincloth clings to a man's loins,
so had I made the whole house of Israel
and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the LORD;

Because, God said, as close as that set of briefs clung to a man's crotch, that is how close I made Israel cling to me.

God is here, merely speaking of the proximity of the garment to the human skin.  If you consider the clothing which men wore in those days, it was a sort of robe.  If you imagine Jesus in your mind's eye, you will see.  The garment underneath, the loincloth, was much closer to man's skin than the robe which draped over his shoulders to his feet.

That is the point.  That the Jews were closer to God than the closest garment was to a man's skin.  Yet, they did not appreciate this fact and continually disobeyed God.  Therefore, God would punish them and let them rot in their sins.

to be my people, my renown, my praise, my beauty.
But they did not listen.

Because God had chosen the Jews to be a special people with a special relationship to Him.  But they refused.  Scripture says:

Exodus 19:4-6

King James Version (KJV)

⁴ Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
⁵ Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
⁶ And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Responsorial Psalm Dt 32:18-19, 20, 21

Response. (see 18a) You have forgotten God who gave you birth.


You were unmindful of the Rock that begot you,
You forgot the God who gave you birth.
When the LORD saw this, he was filled with loathing
and anger toward his sons and daughters.

R. You have forgotten God who gave you birth.

"I will hide my face from them," he said,
"and see what will then become of them.
What a fickle race they are,
sons with no loyalty in them!"

R. You have forgotten God who gave you birth.

"Since they have provoked me with their 'no-god'
and angered me with their vain idols,
I will provoke them with a 'no-people';
with a foolish nation I will anger them."

R. You have forgotten God who gave you birth.

The Psalm reiterates that God punished the Jews because they disobeyed Him and worshipped other gods.

Gospel Mt 13:31-35

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.

Jesus told the crowds another metaphorical story.

"The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.

The Church is like a mustard seed which is sown in the field.

It is the smallest of all the seeds,

A mustard seed is a very tiny seed.

yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the 'birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.'"

Yet when it is full grown, it is a large plant, a large bush where in the birds make their nests.

He spoke to them another parable.

Then Jesus told them another story with a message.

"The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast

The Church is like the yeast

that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened."

That a woman took and mixed with flour to produce a whole batch of bread.

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:


I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
of the world.


Jesus spoke to the crowds in parable in order to fulfill what was prophecied about Him.  That He would teach the people with stories that contained hidden meanings.  Meanings which were not revealed since the world was created.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Mother of my God

When St. Elizabeth greets Mary the Mother of Jesus, she says:

Luke 1 43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

I believe she is recognizing that Jesus is God and therefore means Mother of my God.

What do you think she means?

Sincerely,

De Maria

Lighthouse Catholic Media

Daily Readings July 29, 2012

USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings
July 29, 2012

« July 28 | July 30 »

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 110

Reading 1 2 Kgs 4:42-44

A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God,
twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits,
and fresh grain in the ear.

A Jew came from a foreign land to give Elisha the sacrifice of first fruits due to God.

Exodus 22:29

King James Version (KJV)

²⁹ Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.

Elisha said, "Give it to the people to eat."

Elisha, is a Prophet of God who has received double portions of Elijah's power:

2 Kings 2:9

King James Version (KJV)

⁹ And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

He said to the man, "feed the people with it".

But his servant objected,
"How can I set this before a hundred people?"

Elisha lived amongst an army of prophets.  There were many of them.  And these are the people whom he told the man to feed with his first fruits.  But the man objected that he hadn't brought enough to feed all those people.

Elisha insisted, "Give it to the people to eat."
"For thus says the LORD,
'They shall eat and there shall be some left over.'"
And when they had eaten, there was some left over,
as the LORD had said.

But Elisha insisted and said, not only will there be enough, but some will be left over.  And so, if you read one more verse in this particular passage, it ends thus:

⁴⁴ So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord.


That, of course, sets up today's Gospel, beautifully.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:10-11, 15-16, 17-18

Response. (cf. 16) The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.

R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
and you give them their food in due season;
you open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.

R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

The Psalm is about giving thanks to God for providing us everything we need.  But indirectly, it is about the Eucharist.  Did you know that the word, "Eucharist" comes from the Greek word which means "Thanksgiving"?  Every time we celebrate Communion, we celebrate Thanksgiving.  And you thought it only came around in November.

Reading 2 Eph 4:1-6

Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,

St. Paul addresses the Christians of Ephesus.

urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:

He urges them to obey the Gospel and love one another.  To live according to the vocation they have received of the Lord,  Remember, Baptism is a vocation.  Being Christian is a vocation.  He is not simply speaking to the Priests.

one body and one Spirit,


When we are baptized, we become members of that one Body of Christ, by the Spirit of God


as you were also called to the one hope of your call;


And because we responded to that call, to that vocation of love, we live according to that hope which we have in God, that we will live with Him for eternity.  Scripture says elsewhere:

Romans 5:2

King James Version (KJV)

² By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.

Note the Trinitarian teaching here.  First, above he says we are united into the Body of Christ by the one Spirit of God.  Then he says, we have faith in the one Lord, who is Jesus Christ.  And who is One God, along with the Father, who is over all and in all.

Gospel Jn 6:1-15

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.

Crowds were following Jesus because they wanted to be healed.

Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples.

Jesus went up on the mountain with His disciples.  I assume for some privacy away from the crowds.

The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes
and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,

But the Crowd found Jesus and followed Him up the mountain.

he said to Philip,
"Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?"
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.

Jesus tested Philip with a question.  "Where can we get enough food for this crowd to eat?"

Philip answered him,
"Two hundred days?' wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little.'"

Philip responded, "we don't have enough money to feed all of them even a little."

One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?"

One of the disciples, Peter's brother, Andrew, said that there was someone here with 5 loaves and two fish.  But he also said that it would never be enough for so many.

Jesus said, "Have the people recline."

Jesus said, "tell the people to get ready to eat."  In the days of Jesus, people did not have chairs as we do.  They reclined on the floor, even in their own homes.  Therefore, when He said, "have them recline", He meant, "have them prepare for their meal which is to come."

Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.

Notice that these are five thousand men.  But this does not include women and children who accompanied the men.  If we went to say, a Church gathering which included 5,000 men, how many people do you think that would be in total?  At least double that number, I suppose.  I would say that when the Scripture says 5,000 men, it means 5,000 families.

Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.

Then Jesus divided the loaves and the fish amongst all of these families.

When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
"Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted."
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves
that had been more than they could eat.

When everyone had eaten their fill, Jesus had all the fragments collected.  And there were twelve baskets full of leftovers.

When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
"This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world."

When the people saw that Jesus had multiplied the loaves, they recognized that Jesus was the Messiah which was to come.

Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

And they would make Him King, but Jesus left them and went into the mountain alone.

Scripture says elsewhere:

John 2:23-25

King James Version (KJV)

²³ Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
²⁴ But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
²⁵ And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.


Sincerely,


De Maria

Excellent blog! St. Joseph's Vanguard

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Daily Readings July 28, 2012

USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings
July 28, 2012
« July 27 | July 29 »

Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 400

Reading 1 Jer 7:1-11

The following message came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

Jeremiah received a message from God.

Stand at the gate of the house of the LORD,
and there proclaim this message:
Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah
who enter these gates to worship the LORD!

Stand at the Temple door  in Jerusalem where Judaeans come to worship God, that they may hear you when the enter. And tell them:

Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
Reform your ways and your deeds,
so that I may remain with you in this place.

Repent!  And amend your ways!  So that I, the Lord, may stay with you in this Temple!

Put not your trust in the deceitful words:

Do not trust those who would deceive you.

"This is the temple of the LORD!
The temple of the LORD! The temple of the LORD!"

This is God's house, God's dwelling.

Only if you thoroughly reform your ways and your deeds;
if each of you deals justly with his neighbor;
if you no longer oppress the resident alien,
the orphan, and the widow;

Only if you will begin to love your neighbor by doing good to them.

if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place,

And no longer murdering them.

or follow strange gods to your own harm,

And no longer worship idols.

will I remain with you in this place,
in the land I gave your fathers long ago and forever.

Only if you begin to do good will I the Lord remain with you in this land of milk and honey which I gave your forefathers, long ago.

But here you are, putting your trust in deceitful words to your own loss!
Are you to steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury,
burn incense to Baal,
go after strange gods that you know not,
and yet come to stand before me in this house which bears my name, 

But you have listened to deceitful words and broken every Commandment I gave you.  And yet you come to this place and stand before me in my own house.

and say:
"We are safe; we can commit all these abominations again?"

We have offered up our sacrifice, confessed our sins to the priest, now, we can start all over again.

I need to stop right here and explain to Catholics.  It is a common perception in Protestant communities, that Catholics go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation to confess their sins and then turn around and commit them all over again.

If this is true, the Catholic who does this does not understand the Catholic Faith.  God is not toyed with.  We must go to Confession having resolved not to commit the same sins again.

Has this house which bears my name
become in your eyes a den of thieves?
I too see what is being done, says the LORD.

God is not toyed with.  As the Scripture says:

Hebrews 10:31

King James Version (KJV)

³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

People who do not believe and yet are Baptized, should remember:

Mark 16:16

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

And those who do not believe and yet consume the Eucharist, should remember:

1 Corinthians 11:29

King James Version (KJV)

²⁹ For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

It is the same with every Sacrament.  Every Sacrament is a Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  And anyone being thus baptized without believing, condemns himself.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6a And 8a, 11

Response. (2) How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
in which she puts her young?
Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my king and my God!

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Blessed they who dwell in your house!
continually they praise you.
Blessed the men whose strength you are!
They go from strength to strength.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

I had rather one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Although we have many beautiful houses of God, many beautiful Church buildings.  This Psalm is extolling the beauty of heaven.  As Scripture says elsewhere:

1 Corinthians 2:9

King James Version (KJV)

⁹ But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Gospel Mt 13:24-30

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.

Jesus spoke in parables to the people, but explained His parables to the Apostles so that they could in turn, explain them to the people.  In this way, Jesus was establishing the authority of the Church to teach His Commands (Matt 28:19-20).

"The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man
who sowed good seed in his field.

The man is Jesus.  The seed is the Gospel, the Word of God.

While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.

The enemy is Satan.  He sows seed which produces weeds. He takes God's word and twists it and perverts the good to evil.

When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.

The crops are the people who have received the Word of God and the fruits are the good deeds practiced by those who have received the Word of God.

The weeds are the people who have received the word of the enemy and begun to also produce their bad fruit, their sins.  Murder, lie, steal, adultery, idolatry, etc.

The slaves of the householder came to him and said,

The slaves are the angels of the Lord.

'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?'
He answered, 'An enemy has done this.'
His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'

The angels ask, "do you want us to go and destroy the sinners?"

He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.

The Master says, "no, because you might then hurt the righteous as well.  That takes me back to Abraham, negotiating with God:

Genesis 18:23

King James Version (KJV)

²³ And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
'First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn.'"


This is interesting also because it inverts that which the Protestants believe.  They think the good will be whisked away in the so called, "Rapture".  But it is here revealed, as elsewhere, that it is the evil who will be taken first, and then the good will be gathered into heaven.  As St. Paul also reveals:

1 Thessalonians 4:17

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.


Sincerely,


De Maria

Fr. John's homily, July 27

Today, I was daydreaming when Fr. John started his homily.  But Fr. John has a way of giving you the eye, which brings you right back to the present.

I don't know whether he mentioned the other readings.  When I came to, he was talking about today's Gospel.  The Parable of the Sower.  And he had just asked, "Which one of these applies to you?"  He paused and arched one eyebrow.  Slowly he scanned the congregation from left to right.  Everyone loved it.  Most of the people were giggling nervously.

Fr. John went on to emphasize the first teaching in that parable.  We don't want to be like the people who heard the word of God but did not understand it.  And then the enemy comes along and snatches it from us.  So, the first step is understanding the Word.  And then embracing it in our lives.  Letting it transform us to the men of God that God wants us to be.

He recommended Scott Hahn's commentaries.  So that we could then understand the context and meaning of the Word of God.  

Fr. John is the Pastor of Prince of Peace Catholic Community and one of the greatest homilist you will ever hear.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Daily Readings July 27, 2012

USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings
July 27, 2012 Lectionary: 399

Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Jer 3:14-17

Return, rebellious children, says the LORD,
for I am your Master;

God calls Israel back from idolatry and disobedience.

I will take you, one from a city, two from a clan,
and bring you to Zion.

I'm not really sure what that means.  Except, perhaps, that many more will be lost than will be redeemed and forgiven of their sins.

I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart,
who will shepherd you wisely and prudently.

It is the shepherds of the People of God, who have led many astray:

Malachi 2:6-8

King James Version (KJV)

⁶ The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.
⁷ For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
⁸ But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.

Not only they, but also the rich and powerful oppress the poor:

Jeremiah 5:28

King James Version (KJV)

²⁸ They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.


But God will appoint a new shepherd.  Jesus Christ:

John 10:11

King James Version (KJV)

¹¹ I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.


And He in turn will appoint His own Shepherd:

John 21:17

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁷ He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

When you multiply and become fruitful in the land,
says the LORD,
They will in those days no longer say,
"The ark of the covenant of the LORD!"
They will no longer think of it, or remember it,
or miss it, or make another.
At that time they will call Jerusalem the LORD's throne;
there all nations will be gathered together
to honor the name of the LORD at Jerusalem,
and they will walk no longer in their hardhearted wickedness.

This is a reference to the New Covenant in Christ's blood.  Wherein the Old Covenant has been fulfilled and the Old Ark has been lost and forgotten.  The New Ark is now kept in mind.  The New Ark not made by human hands.  The Mother of God, Mary.  The New Jerusalem.  The Church.

Responsorial Psalm Jer 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13

Response. (see 10d) The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.

R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD's blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the oil,
the sheep and the oxen.

R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.

R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

The Psalm is a prophecy of the New and Heavenly Jerusalem.  Where it is said:

Revelation 21:3-5

King James Version (KJV)

³ And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
⁴ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
⁵ And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Gospel Mt 13:18-23

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Hear the parable of the sower.

Jesus begins to teach His disciples.  First, Jesus would expound the parable to the multitudes.  But He would not explain it.  He would explain it to His disciples and they would in turn, explain it to the multitudes.

In this way, Jesus assured the crowds would rely upon and turn to the Apostles and Disciples, the foundation of His Church, for instruction in the Faith.

The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom without understanding it, and the Evil One comes and steals away what was sown in his heart.

The first seed, which was sown on the path, is the person who does not understand the Word of God and then turns to wickedness, because of the temptations of Satan.

The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.

The next seed is sown on the rocks.  Because it is sown on rocks, its roots can't go deep.  They are shallow and so, when any trouble comes along, they are easily washed away.  They can't hold on to the Word of God.  They do not really believe it.

The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.

The next seed is sown in weeds.  That is, amongst evil companions who teach the opposite of what God teaches.  These companions persuade this one to seek the false kingdom of riches and worldly attractions.  And they too, turn away from God.

But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."

But the last group, hears the Word of God and believing it, live it.  And living it, preach it.  And multiply and produce fruit unto the glory of God.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Fr. John's homily, Memorial of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Memorial of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today, Fr. John started Mass by saying,

Today we celebrate the memorial of Sts. Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Grandparents of Jesus Christ, In-Laws of St. Joseph, cousins of St. Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist and Uncle and Aunt of many of the Apostles and Disciples. 

Wouldn't you love to celebrate Christmas in their house?

You have to know Fr. John and the humorous and subtle way in which he teaches without seeming to be teaching.  The entire community was chuckling as he enumerated the family of Christ.  This is wonderful lesson on the Communion of the Saints.  Because, of course, we already celebrate Christmas in the House of God, the Catholic Church.  Wherein we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.

Fr. John is the Pastor of Prince of Peace Catholic Community and one of the greatest homilist you will find anywhere.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Immaculate Conception

The doctrines of the Catholic Church need not be EXPLICITLY in Scripture. It is enough that they don't contradict Scripture and are consistent with Scripture.

The doctrine of the Immaculate conception is one of those. This doctrine says that Mary 1. Was born without original sin and
2. Never committed sin in her life.

Does Scripture say that Mary was born without Original Sin?

For that we must know what is Original Sin? Original Sin is the absence of Original Justice.

What is Original Justice? Original Justice is the condition in which Adam and Eve were created. They were created in a condition of friendship with God.

Adam and Eve lost Original Justice when they betrayed God by listening to Satan's suggestions rather than to God's command. At that moment they entered a condition of Original Sin. A condition of opposition with God.

When Adam and Eve lost Original Justice, they lost the condition of friendship with God and could no longer pass it down. Man now had to earn that condition by making a conscious effort to turn to God.


However, even in this condition, Scripture says that men existed who did not sin:
Romans 5 14 But death reigned from Adam unto Moses, even over them also who have not sinned after the similitude of the transgression of Adam, who is a figure of him who was to come.

This takes care of condition #2. If men have existed who did not commit sin as Adam had done, then it is consistent with Scripture that Mary could as well.

But how about Original Sin, was Mary born in a condition of opposition to God? According to the Protoevangelium, the first Gospel, Jesus would be born of a woman and that woman would be the enemy of Satan.

Genesis 3 15 I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.

Therefore, since God has always destined the mother of Jesus to be the enemy of Satan, we believe that she was born without original sin.

There is another verse which says that Mary is the Kecharitomene. Its kind of complicated, so I'll let you read it here:
The Meaning of Kecharitomene: Full of Grace (Luke 1:28)

Sincerely,

De Maria

Daily Readings July 26, 2012

USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings

July 26, 2012

Memorial of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lectionary: 398
Reading 1 Jer 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13

This word of the LORD came to me:

The Lord spoke to Jeremiah

Go, cry out this message for Jerusalem to hear!

Announce to Jerusalem this message. 

I remember the devotion of your youth,
how you loved me as a bride,
Following me in the desert,
in a land unsown.

The Lord here describes Israel as a loving Bride.  This same metaphor is also used to describe Jesus relationship to the Church:

Ephesians 5:22-24

King James Version (KJV)

²² Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
²⁴ Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;


²⁶ That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
²⁷ That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
²⁸ So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
²⁹ For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
³⁰ For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
³¹ For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
³² This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Sacred to the LORD was Israel,
the first fruits of his harvest;
Should any presume to partake of them,
evil would befall them, says the LORD.

The Jews were God's chosen people.  A people peculiar to Him whom He loved and protected, as long as they kept His Commandments:

Exodus 19:5

King James Version (KJV)

⁵ Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:


We have taken that honor now:

1 Peter 2:9

King James Version (KJV)

⁹ But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

When I brought you into the garden land
to eat its goodly fruits,

The garden land- the land of milk and honey to which He led Israel through the desert.

You entered and defiled my land,
you made my heritage loathsome.
The priests asked not,
"Where is the LORD?"
Those who dealt with the law knew me not:
the shepherds rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
and went after useless idols.

But Israel apostatized and turned to other gods, committing idolatry and defaming the Name of God who had led them out of the Egypt.

Be amazed at this, O heavens,
and shudder with sheer horror, says the LORD.
Two evils have my people done:
they have forsaken me, the source of living waters;
They have dug themselves cisterns,
broken cisterns, that hold no water.

The two evils which the people of God committed are the same.  First the abandoned God, but then they turned to other gods.  They were not content to deny the existence of Almighty God, but they denied His existence while turning to nonexistent gods.  Scripture says elsewhere:

Deuteronomy 32:17

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁷ They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 36:6-7ab, 8-9, 10-11

Response- (10a) With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.

O LORD, your mercy reaches to heaven;
your faithfulness, to the clouds.
Your justice is like the mountains of God;
your judgments, like the mighty deep.

R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.

How precious is your mercy, O God!
The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They have their fill of the prime gifts of your house;
from your delightful stream you give them to drink.

R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.


For with you is the fountain of life,
and in your light we see light.
Keep up your mercy toward your friends,
your just defense of the upright of heart.

R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.

Summary of the Psalm:

The Psalm celebrates the mercy of God towards those who love Him and keep His Commandments.

As Scripture says elsewhere:

Exodus 20:6

King James Version (KJV)

⁶ And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Gospel Mt 13:10-17

The disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?"

The disciples asked Jesus, "why do you speak to the crowd in riddles?"

Parables are a form of illustration which uses stories and metaphors to convey a lesson.  Frequently, it takes a bit of thinking to recognize the connection.  I know, for myself, it was not until I became familiar with some parts of Judaic custom of which I was not aware, that many of these parables which Jesus taught, began to make sense.

He said to them in reply,
"Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.

Jesus reply has something to do with Predestination.  A topic which I won't voluntarily broach.  I do recognize that it is Catholic doctrine.  But I don't think I can explain it well.

However, there is more than one meaning being conveyed here.  The reason Apostles were given the knowledge of the mysteries of God is evident.  God wanted the people to come to the Church to learn that which Christ commanded.  As it is written:

Matthew 28:19-20

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁹ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

This is at once, a beautiful teaching and a fearful one.  It touches upon faith and those who exercise and those who don't.  Those who have faith and use it, will merit eternal life.  Those who claim to have faith but do not produce evidence of that faith in works, will be condemned.  As it is written:

Matthew 25:14-30

¹⁴ For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

¹⁵ And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

¹⁶ Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

¹⁷ And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

¹⁸ But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

¹⁹ After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

²⁰ And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

²¹ His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

²² He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

²³ His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

²⁴ Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

²⁵ And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

²⁶ His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

²⁷ Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

²⁸ Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

²⁹ For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

³⁰ And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 25:31-45

King James Version (KJV)

³¹ When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
³² And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
³³ And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
³⁴ Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
³⁵ For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
³⁶ Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
³⁷ Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
³⁸ When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
³⁹ Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
⁴⁰ And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
⁴¹ Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
⁴² For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
⁴³ I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
⁴⁴ Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
⁴⁵ Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:


You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted
and I heal them.

This is a reference to apostatizing Israel.  Who at one time had closed their ears, eyes and hearts to God.

Isaiah 6:8-10

King James Version (KJV)

⁸ Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
⁹ And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
¹⁰ Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."


But Jesus commends the Apostles.  Because they answered the call of the Father and followed Jesus, disregarding the cost to their own lives:

Matthew 19:29

King James Version (KJV)

²⁹ And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.


Sincerely,


De Maria